Interview with Mr Ayub Khan — Executive Director, Dewan Ishtiaq Textile Mills
[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Profile:
Mr Ayub Khan is the Executive Director of Dewan Ishtiaq Textile Mills. He is a qualified Textile Engineer having 35 years of experience in textile fields as professional and an entrepreneur. Mr Ayub Khan is one of the most famous textile advisers working in Pakistan as well as in Bangladesh. He has reviewed the textile policy of the current political ruling party in Pakistan. He has appeared in several TV shows to give guidelines to the textile policy makers of Pakistan.[/box]
PAGE: Could you tell us about the textile industry of Pakistan?
Ayub Khan:Â The textile industry of Pakistan is unfortunately running like an unguided missile on its own without any proper planning. It could be the back bone of our country but unfortunately still the trend is downward although some export figures are better than previous worst condition. It would again steep down in the future because the TERF (temporary economic refinance facility) is used mostly in the wrong direction in our textile industry because of no proper guidelines provided by government to strengthen the industry to export and the loan dispersed very cheaply.
PAGE: Despite economic problems, there is surge in the exports of textile products. Your views:
Ayub Khan:Â There are four major factors as:
1-Chinese production mostly closed down due to Covid pandemic.
2-Indian production and export suffered badly due to mishandling of Covid pandemic.
3-Bangladesh mishandled the Covid pandemic and the buyers shifted to Pakistan after a long war on terror.
4-PTI government facilitated the textile industry of Pakistan by equalising the energy per unit rates throughout Pakistan which was totally disturbed after 18th amendment in the constitution in PPP and PML(N) Punjab government’s selfish coalition, and they ignored the impact on country’s exports. This one step of PTI government made started the closed textile units of Punjab. Secondly the fast refund of sales tax pending amount to the industry. Thirdly as I mentioned above the billions of rupees in TERF scheme injected by the government in the exportable industry.
PAGE: What is your perspective about the GSP Plus status?
Ayub Khan:Â As we all know that GSP Plus status made Pakistan and Bangladesh equal in textile export market in Europe. Now we are exporting to Europe since it was implemented.