Powerloom owners threaten countrywide demonstrations, rallies

MULTAN: Members of the All Pakistan Powerloom Association have demanded the government accept their demands otherwise they will stage demonstrations and take out rallies.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, APPA president Abdul Khaliq Ansari said that the loom industry would finally chalk-out protest strategy at a convention to be held at Kasur on April 5. He demanded Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif remove the ministers responsible for induction of failed trade and textile policy, which had reduced export and increased imports.

He warned that if the government does not invite the APPA representatives for dialogue, they would go on strike for indefinite period. All measures would be adopted in the protest drive that would finally end at long march to Islamabad, he warned.

Abdul Khaliq said that the association had asked the government for entertaining their charter of demands but no positive response was received yet. Criticising the legislators, he said that the APPA had supported and promoted candidates in the National as well as Punjab Assemblies for the protection of their rights but all elected representatives disappointed the loom workers.

He said that bread and butter of thousands of workers had been at stake but no legislator could help them in the present situation. He said that powerloom industry was facing unabated crisis for more than a year. The recent textile policy had buried the future of loom industry and completely destroyed it, he alleged.

The APPA had been continuously asking the government for dialogue but no attention was paid, he lamented. Ansari said that the government had allowed export of yarn, which had increased rates in domestic market.

The government report had indicated reduce in value added textile export increasing the volume of imports, he added. The textile policy had declined trade, he claimed. He demanded withdrawal of textile policy and appealed to the PM to take notice of powerloom crisis and resolve their problems. He also demanded repeal of rebate on yarn export and removal of duty on import of yarn. He said that the government should announce rebate on domestic sale and purchase of yarn. The government should fix Rs 6 flat rate for powerloom electricity tariff, he demanded. He asked the government to completely ban cloths smuggling from India and give special relief package to the powerloom industry.

The government should announce facilities for domestic industrialists, he maintained. He said that a new textile policy should be introduced. APPA Multan zone chairman Bashir Ahmad, secretary general Saeed Ahmad, SVP Abdul Latif Ansari, APPA executive committee chairman Younis Ansari and others were also present.