By SKM
June 11, 2026
ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the immediate issuance of a notification for the reconstituted Pakistan Cotton Board, in a move that has been welcomed by the textile industry as a significant step toward reviving Pakistan’s declining cotton output.
The decision has been strongly endorsed by the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA), which described it as a long-awaited breakthrough for the country’s struggling cotton economy and a potential turning point in reducing reliance on costly cotton imports.
APTMA Chairman Kamran Arshad called the Prime Minister’s directive “timely, visionary and decisive,” saying it had helped restore confidence across the cotton value chain, including farmers, ginners, seed suppliers, researchers, and textile exporters.
The reconstituted Pakistan Cotton Board is expected to introduce a more industry-driven governance model, with greater representation for stakeholders across the sector. Under the proposed framework, around 70 percent of cotton cess funds will be directed toward research and development, while provinces, universities, farmers, and the seed industry will be formally included in policymaking.
The reform package forms part of a broader Cotton Revival Roadmap approved earlier by the Cabinet Committee on Essential/Cash Crops and incorporated into the Ministry of National Food Security and Research’s cotton strategy.
It also aligns with the government-backed Green Pakistan Initiative, which has been supporting efforts to modernize agricultural production, including the introduction of mechanical cotton picking to improve efficiency, reduce contamination, and address labour shortages.
APTMA has repeatedly warned that delays in implementing the revival plan risked missing critical sowing windows and further increasing dependence on imports. The association said the latest directive removes uncertainty and paves the way for immediate implementation of long-pending reforms.
The textile body said the next phase of reforms must focus on improving seed quality, strengthening research and extension services, modernizing ginning, and introducing traceability systems to enhance competitiveness in global markets.
APTMA emphasized that cotton remains central to Pakistan’s textile exports and rural livelihoods, and argued that revitalizing the crop is essential for both economic stability and industrial growth. Ends
