PESHAWAR, Jan 10: Islampur, a small village in Swat, catches official attention as the provincial government is working on a plan to establish it as a brand, according to officials.
Situated two kilometers from Saidu Sharif near Mingora, Islampur is popular due to its handloom weaving sector, which serves as the economic lifeline for over 4,000 village population.
“The government would shortly share the results of a baseline survey with its international development partners, requesting them to finance the economic revitalisation plan for Islampur,” said Imran Khan, an economic growth analyst at the Provincial Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Settlement Authority (PaRRSA).
He said the plan was aimed at organising the sector along modern lines, providing modern machines and a sustained supply of raw material to the households associated with the weaving business.
Hand-woven shawls and traditional blankets made at Islampur are supplied to domestic markets as far away as Karachi.
Mr Khan said the proposed economic growth activity was aimed at improving efficiency and productivity levels of the weavers, organising them in a single cluster to enjoy the economic benefit on equal basis.
Adnan Khan, spokesman for the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, parent organisation of PaRRSA, told Dawn that the provincial government recently reconstructed the three kilometers road between Saidu Sharif and Islampur. Rebuilt at the cost of Rs46 million, the road to Islampur was left in ruins by the devastating floods in 2010, he added.
PaRRSA, said its analyst, recently conducted a baseline study to identify Islampur weaving sector’s fundamental requirements.
The official said the sector had been found to be suffering due to outdated weaving practices, inconsistent raw material supply and lack of effective marketing mechanisms.
“We are talking about replacing their (weavers’) outdated weaving looms, setting up a proper raw material supply mechanism, and improving their market access,” said Mr Khan.
The provincial government, added the official, had received a positive response from the private sector in its bids to organise the traditional weaving sector on modern lines.
A leading firm from Karachi, according to the official, has expressed interest in becoming a part to the provincial government’s efforts in setting up a value chain to enhance Islampur weaving sector’s productivity.
The provincial government will ask for the international donors’ help in setting up a modern common facility center at the village, providing the weavers access to new weaving equipment and imparting them modern production techniques.
Besides, the government will also help the weavers establish linkages with textile industry, putting in place a proper raw material supply mechanism to improve their efficiency and productivity.
The official said Islampur’s weaving sector had great potential to positively impact the local economy through creation of jobs and self employment opportunities for people in the surrounding areas as well.
“PaRRSA is hopeful about getting financial assistance from its development partners for the implementation of the Islampur economic growth plan through targeted activities,” said the analyst.
He said the broad outlines of the plan had already been preliminarily discussed with a couple of donor agencies and detailed discussions would commence in the near future.