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Karachi's bane becomes Punjab's boon

Garment export houses

moving upcountry

NAYYAR ZUBERI

KARACHI: While the persistent law and order situation has become a bane for Karachi, it has proved to be a boon for the Punjab, which is now becoming the hub of export-oriented industries.

Almost all major garment export houses of Karachi have established small manufacturing units in the safer zone of Punjab, after being disappointed at the prolonged law and order situation which has adversely affected their export performance for the last several years.

The industrialists said that 'it is very difficult to shift an entire factory from Karachi to Punjab but we have to set up small units in other provinces to meet our export deadlines.'

Spelling out the reasons for their export failure to meet deadlines, unit owners said that every day the workers face difficulties in reaching the place of duty due to firing, strikes, frequent closure of residential areas by law enforcing agencies for the arrest of terrorists and recovery of arms. In such conditions full swing operations are not possible, they added.

Over 20 to 35 percent of garment manufacturing units in the city have been forced to pull down their shutters in recent months.

A majority of these units are located in residential cum-commercial areas of Azizabad, Nazimabad, Orangi, New Karachi, Shah Faisal Colony, Korangi etc.

The industrialists said that they own small units having 100 to 300 garment stiching machines. They do not have the financial resources to sustain losses due to frequent closure.