FAISALABAD, April 11: Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Asim Khursheed has urged the government not to withdrew research and development (R&D) facility.

Talking to Dawn here on Friday, he said the textile industry would be at a crossroads and thousands of labourers would lose their jobs if the R&D facility was withdrawn.

He said the textile sector was the mainstay of the economy and providing jobs to millions of people. However, at present it has been facing numerous problems owing to high cost of production which rendered the exporters helpless to compete in the international market.

He said it was the R&D facility, which made textile exporters to run their businesses smoothly and thousands of workers earn their livelihood.

He said the facility had injected a new blood in the dying textile sector, but now exporters were perturbed over the uncertain situation. He said the industry would have no option but to close down units if the government was not ready to extend the R&D facility.

The FCCI president said the industrialists had apprised Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and the ministers concerned about the benefits of R&D.

Mr Khursheed said the government should sit together with the industrialists for devising a strategy for trade expansion and creation of new jobs.