LAHORE - Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (North Zone) has elected Adil Butt, Kashif Zia and Sh. Sarwat Kapoor unopposed as chairman, senior vice chairman and vice chairman respectively for the year 2018-19. At the central level, Javaid Bilwani was elected as central chairman.

According to a press release issued here, the PHMA zonal committee, in its meeting held in Lahore, also approved the results of the elections.

The other newly-elected Executive Committee members included Sajid Hussain Bhatti, Afzal Awan, Qamar Aftab, Kashif Zia, Shaheen Tabssum and Muhammad Sarwat Kapoor.

The new zonal chairman, in a statement, termed the knitwear industry as number one in the ranking of export-products with more than $2.7 billion earned during last year.

He vowed that value-added textile industry was ready to work closely with the new government with a view to enhance the exports and revive growth momentum.

He called for giving a boost to the export sector by adopting diversified marketing techniques and extending practical support to the industry, and asked the knitwear and garment exporters to prepare themselves for meeting the global challenges so that momentum of exports could not only be maintained, but also new opportunities be fully exploited.

He also stressed the need for adopting new technology so that Pakistan's exports may be able to cope with the emerging challenges in international arena.

Adil Butt urged the new government to undertake thorough research and also brief the SMEs of the details of such challenges.

He hoped that the government would help boost country’s exports especially of the value-added textile, while all the macro and micro issues of the trade and commerce would also be addressed. Adil Butt said that growth of value-added textile industry was a must to steer the industry of worse situation and contribute to the exports of the country. He observed that the domestic industry should be allowed to grow while enjoying the right to avail opportunities against the competitors.