Sizing Factory Owners Threaten to Shut Down Industry After Demolitions in Faisalabad

Faisalabad, Pakistan – The All Pakistan Sizing Association (APSA) has warned it will shut down the sizing industry if the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) continues to demolish factories in Faisalabad. This follows the demolition of two sizing factories for violating smog-related rules.

Shakil Ansari, Chairman of APSA, said the industry is already struggling, and closing factories will make things worse. He pointed out that vehicles, not factories, are the main cause of smog. “Industries have a small impact on smog,” he said, criticizing the government for not using World Bank funds to improve factory chimneys. Instead, the EPD has been fining factories, filing cases, and now demolishing them.

Baou Akram, Chairman of the All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, said demolishing factories is unfair. “Fines and sealing factories would have been enough,” he said. “Demolishing them is like destroying a lifetime of hard work. We did not build multi-billion-dollar industries to have our factories bulldozed.”

Wahid Khalique Ramee, Chairman of the Council of Loom Owners Association, called the demolitions cruel and unfair. He warned that closing the sizing industry would also hurt other textile sectors, like power looms. “If another factory is demolished, we will protest and shut down the industry,” he said.

The APSA’s strong response highlights the growing tension between the government and the textile industry. While the government is enforcing stricter environmental rules, industry leaders argue that the focus should be on reducing pollution from vehicles, not shutting down factories.