Sochbichar

Moderator: Dr Nadeem ul Haque Chair: Abdul Razak Daood, Adviser for Commerce and Investment, Ministry of Commerce, Government of Pakistan Presenter:  Ahmed Waqar Qasim, Research Economist, PIDE Saddam Hussain, Research Economist, PIDE Discussant:  Gohar Ejaz, Patron-in-Chief, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association Khadija Malik Bari Assistant Professor, Institute of Business Administration, Islamabad Aqdas Afzal, Program Director, Social Development & Policy Program, Habib University.   The economic significance of the textile sector in Pakistan is undeniable. The sector contributes around 60% of the export earnings and provides employment opportunities for around 40% of the total labor force. In the textile sector, energy cost is the leading component in terms of conversion cost. Among all the factors that make the textile sector of Pakistan regionally un-competitive, energy tariff is at the core. The recent outshining performance of the textile sector can partially be attributed to the regionally com