Pakistan textile exporters strongly opposing the proposed merger of textile ministry with commerce terming it a negative move which would hurt the pace of growth in textile exports and would push textile industry on back gear.

Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) leaders expressed concerns over the proposed merger of textile ministry into commerce ministry and said that Pakistan has dynamic, vigorous and export-oriented textile industry that has an overwhelming impact on national economy.

Textile being largest industrial sector generates the country's highest export earnings of about 60 percent, providing the bulk of employment to 40 percent workforce and contributes 8.5 percent to GDP. The Ministry of textile industry was established on the demands of textile exporters to formulate strategies and programmes to facilitate the textile sector for attaining sustainable growth, to achieve higher objectives and to anticipate the challenges confronting by the textile sector, they said.

With the establishment of full fledged textile ministry, the country's textile exports gradually increased from $8.29 billion in 2004-05 to $13.73 billion in 2013-14. Textile Ministry is greatly contributing in textile development by implementing and finalising various initiatives like acquiring professional management skill, technological up-gradation, human resource development, innovations in diverse products, maintaining standards, ensuring quality to bridge the country's yawning trade gap.

The chairman Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) Sohail Pasha was of the view that the current scenario has dramatically changed the global trade patterns have increased the competition; nonetheless there is a new focus required for textile industry to increase their successive rate. Successful operation of an independent textile ministry would help to boost textile exports and the country would be able to earn more precious forex to stable its sagging economy. He demanded the Government not to abolish or merge such an important textile ministry and keep its independent identity.

Vice Chairman Rizwan Riaz Sehgal said that creating greater opportunities for the fourth biggest cotton producer country of the world, an independent ministry for textile industry is envisaging new culture which would expedite the process of improvement in all the segments of textile sector.

To keep the momentum of growth in textile exports and further development of the textile industry, the main stay of national economy, the government needs to allow textile ministry run independently.