LAHORE, Aug 7: The ministry of commerce has asked All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) to furnish its views along with documentary evidence, if any, on a complaint by a textile mill that it had illegally forced the unit to pay membership dues to get the Export Price Check (EPC) certificate.

An executive of the Rehmat Wazir Textile Mills Ltd told Dawn that the mill had applied for EPC to make shipment of its yarn consignment to Alexandria, Egypt, but was forced by Aptma to pay the membership dues before the certificate could be issued. He said it was illegal because the association could not use EPC as a tool to get membership or any other dues.

He said the mill had filed a complaint against this illegal action of Aptma with the ministry which has asked Aptma to furnish its comments by August 15.