Surat: Taking a tough stand against Pakistan after the Pulwama Terror attack, fabric export to the neighbouring country has been stopped sources reported.
According to reports, exporters from India’s largest man-made fabric (MMF) hub in Surat have stopped exporting fabrics to Pakistan after the attack.
This could have a greater impact on textile market in Pakistan as two biggest fabric markets in Pakistan- Azam cloth market in Lahore and Lucknow market in Karachi depend on polyester fabrics, saris, lenghas and dupattas imported from Surat.
Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (SGCCI) textile committee chairman Devkishan Manghani said, “A delegation from Surat had visited Azam and Lucknow markets in Karachi and Lahore last year. Majority of traders import cheap saris, lenghas and other fabrics from Surat and sell them after value addition. Small traders there will be finished if our exporters don’t supply raw material to them.”
Not only India, but other foreign companies dealing with textile companies in Surat have taken a tough stand against Pakistan after the terror attack in Pulwama.
Laxmipati Group managing director Sanjay Saraogi told TOI, “Our company uses fibre manufactured by an American company. This American company supplies the fabric manufactured by us to Pakistan and they had a sales office there. We told our American counterparts to stop the fabric supply to Pakistan or else we will not use their fibre after Pulwama attack. The American company shut down its Pakistan sales office two days ago.”
Lucky Gondalia, owner of Gondalia Textile Exports, said, “After the dastardly attack on our soldiers in Pulwama, we have severed business links with Pakistani traders. Earlier, we used to export saris, dress material, lenghas, bemberges and bleech fabrics to the tune of over Rs4 crore per annum to them.”
Srikant Mundra, owner of Sudarshan Textile Private Limited, said, “We can’t sell dresses to women of Pakistan many of whose husbands, brothers and relatives are killing our soldiers and civilians. Two days ago, we winded up our Karachi office. Earlier, we were supplying more than Rs10 crore worth of textile fabrics to Lahore and Karachi.”
Before 2014, the MMF exports from Surat to Pakistan stood at Rs2,400 crore. The exports of MMF fabrics from Surat to Pakistan was predicted to touch Rs3,000 crore by 2018.
The Synthetic and Rayon Textile Export Promotion Council (SRTEPC) chairman Narain Aggarwal said, “Textile trade between Pakistan and India, Surat in particular has come to an end after Pulwama terror attack. India’s textile sector stands firmly behind our martyred soldiers. We believe no Indian textile businessman should deal with Pakistan.”