LAHORE:The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has urged the Punjab government to immediately halt any proposal to convert the land of the Central Cotton Research Institute (CCRI), Multan, into a Gymkhana Club, warning that such a move would seriously undermine Pakistan’s struggling cotton sector and weaken national cotton research efforts.
In a strongly worded communication addressed to the Punjab leadership, APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad described CCRI Multan as one of the country’s most important cotton research institutions operating under the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC). The association emphasised that the institute was established and funded through cotton cess contributed by the textile industry specifically for research, seed development, pest management, and revival of the cotton economy.
The textile body highlighted the alarming decline in Pakistan’s cotton production, which has fallen from nearly 14 million bales to around 5 million bales in recent years.According to APTMA, the sharp drop has forced the country to spend billions of dollars on cotton imports, placing additional pressure on foreign exchange reserves and adversely affecting textile exports, farmers, and rural livelihoods.
APTMA warned that converting CCRI land for recreational or commercial purposes at a time of severe agricultural and economic challenges would send ‘an extremely negative signal’ to the farming and textile sectors. The association stated that weakening cotton research infrastructure would directly contradict ongoing national efforts to revive cotton production and reduce import dependence. The association also referred to the recent policy direction approved by Cabinet Committee on Essential Crops, chaired by the Deputy PM, for the establishment of a ‘Pakistan Cotton Board.’ The proposed board aims to strengthen cotton research, improve governance, and ensure effective use of cotton cess for the benefit of farmers and industry stakeholders.
