Save Our Pak
Lahore: Former Commerce Minister Gohar Ejaz has warned that a trade agreement between the European Union and India could put the jobs of more than 10 million people in Pakistan at serious risk.
Speaking in Lahore, Gohar Ejaz said the EU–India trade deal could cause major damage to Pakistan’s industries, especially the textile sector. He warned that the agreement may badly affect Pakistan’s exports and employment.
According to him, Pakistan’s textile exports worth offering about 9 billion dollars could be hit due to this deal. He added that millions of workers across the country depend on the textile industry, and their livelihoods are now under threat.
Gohar Ejaz said that the special trade benefits previously given to Pakistan by the European Union have now ended. He explained that the “honeymoon period” is over, and zero-tariff access will now apply equally to Pakistan and other regional countries. Earlier, Pakistan enjoyed special zero-duty facilities from the EU.
He stressed that the government must take immediate steps to protect the local textile industry. Without urgent action, he warned, Pakistan could lose its competitive edge in global markets.
The former commerce minister demanded that electricity and gas be provided to the textile sector at regional rates to help industries survive.
He further said that tax rates on industries and overall business costs must be brought in line with neighboring countries. Pakistan’s industries, he added, can no longer bear the burden of system inefficiencies and high operational costs.
Reported by Save Our pak
