ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday welcomed more than 400 delegates from 60 countries who are currently visiting the country’s southern port city of Karachi to attend the 4th International Textile Exhibition (TEXPO), a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Pakistan’s textile and clothing industry plays a vital role in sustaining its economy since it accounts for more than 60 percent of the country’s total exports. According to Statista, a market and consumer data platform, the South Asian country was among the top 10 global textile exporters in 2021 with a value of about $9 billion.
Owing to an ongoing economic turmoil amid energy shortages and a major balance of payments crisis, however, the country has witnessed a gradual decline in its textile exports since last October, according to the Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA).
The government has arranged several international exhibitions in this context to once again boost the textile exports, including TEXPO 2023, which is taking place in southern Karachi port city from May 26 to May 28.
Pakistan also hosted the Textile Asia Exhibition in March, which witnessed the participation of eight countries.
“Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday stressed the country’s exporters to come up with innovative and unique ideas to boost exports which would ultimately help the country earn valuable foreign exchanges,” said the PM Office in the statement.
“Welcoming the foreign delegates, the PM said he was happy to learn that over 400 foreign delegates from 60 countries were visiting on the occasion, [showing that] Pakistan was a valuable destination for foreign guests, buyers, and traders.”
Addressing a ceremony at the TEXPO, the premier pointed out that despite financial challenges and other difficulties, the government was committed to providing genuine support to all the export sectors, including textile, leather and sports, to help increase the country’s commercial potential.
“I have no doubt in mind that we can still recover from these setbacks and … excel in our exports,” he said.
The PM also appreciated local industrialists, exporters and experts, saying they had contributed immensely to promoting Pakistan’s textile and leather exports.
Over 400 delegates from 60 countries visit Pakistan for international textile exhibition
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Over 400 delegates from 60 countries visit Pakistan for international textile exhibition
- PM Sharif asks exporters to come up with innovative and unique ideas to enhance Pakistan’s commercial potential
- Pakistan was among the top 10 global textile exporters until 2021, but the sector witnessed slowdown more recently
Five cops killed as gunmen ambush police van in northwestern Pakistan
- Over a dozen “well-armed terrorists” ambushed police van in northwestern Karak district, say police
- Pakistan’s northwestern KP province has witnessed a surge in militant attacks in recent months
PESHAWAR: Five cops were killed when a group of “terrorists” ambushed a police van in Pakistan’s northwestern Karak district on Tuesday, a police official confirmed.
Karak police spokesperson Shaukat Khan said a heavy police reinforcement has been dispatched to the site of the attack in the district’s Gurguri area to collect evidence.
“Over a dozen well-armed terrorists ambushed a police mobile van in the jurisdiction of Gurguri police station, an inaccessible area of the district, leaving five policemen martyred,” Khan told Arab News.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, similar attacks on police and security forces have been claimed in the past by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Pakistani Taliban.
Khan identified the slain police officers as Shahid Iqbal, Arif, Sami Ullah, Safdar and the driver named Muhammad Ibrar.
“Evidence has been collected from the crime scene and a comprehensive search operation is now underway to apprehend the perpetrators,” Khan said.
The Gurguri region is home to a large gas field, where exploration activities take place regularly. This often necessitates heightened security measures by law enforcement personnel.
Pakistan has witnessed a surge in militant activities, particularly in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province bordering Afghanistan, in recent months.
Earlier this month, one police constable was killed while five others were injured in a suicide blast that targeted a police vehicle in the Lakki Marwat district.
Similarly, three police personnel were killed in November when militants attacked a checkpost in Hangu city.
Pakistan has blamed Afghanistan for facilitating cross-border attacks against its security forces and turning a blind eye to the TTP’s activities on its soil.
Afghanistan rejects the allegations and says it cannot be held responsible for Islamabad’s security lapses.
