The domestic ready-made apparel industry has in the last few years progressed tremendously production-wise, quality-wise, and demand-wise. From a few manufacturers of run-of-the-mill stuff sold in relatively small number of drab, uninspired, and cheerless stores, this industry has become a paradigm of fashion where its products are displayed with razzmatazz in super-decorated stores that are twinkling with trimmings and tinsel, plush-carpeted, centrally air-conditioned, and lavishly stocked. There has been a remarkable increase in the trend-wise and fashion-orientation of consumers and their desire to be more conscious of fashion modes and styles, and to expect world class excellence in ready to wear apparel. This has created a keen awareness in manufacturers to boldly take the initiative to produce top quality fashionable items of instant wear.

The domestic apparel scene in the past few years has been the high point of the fashion revolution in Pakistan. The concept of brand names has developed into a consumer loyalty where the products of topmost brands have become household names, and have progressed from urban-popularity to an equally rural acceptability. The manufacturers of these brands have given a lot of importance to research, to finding high quality raw material, to improving the technical aspects of the garment, to discovering better trimmings, to invest in state-of-the-art machinery, to have effective advertising and eye-catching point-of-sale material, to marketing forcefully and scientifically, and to the development of high-grade products for the discerning consumer of Pakistan. All these efforts involve a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, alongwith the entrepreneurial skills of the manufacturer. But it has paid dividends. The demand for local ready-made apparel has gone up incredibly with the result that there has been a phenomenal proliferation in the number of manufacturers and retailers.

The domestic apparel brands have achieved prominence and are not only recognized but, generally, also demanded by name. These brands have local or foreign nomenclature, and some names are actually copied from the existing foreign brands popular in many parts of the world. Some of the known local brands have male names that range from ALADIN and CHIRAGHDIN to NAWABDIN and SIRAJDIN. Some have foreign names such as JOHN FOSTER or PETER BROWN, for example. The two English seats of learning, CAMBRIDGE and OXFORD are well known, too. Certain other English names like LEEDS, SCOTTISH, BIG BEN, and WEMBLEY are popular too. The American Wild west is there with WRANGLER and RUSTLER. One can find the RAINMAN or a MEXICAN or get an IMAGE. The perfume industry has given ARAMIS while the hoi-polloi is there with LORD’S, TOP HAT, TYCOON and SUPER-DUPER. Then ADAM is there with EVE. The Greeks are represented by OMEGA while the planets are orbiting with MERCURY and JUPITER. Then there is SHE with H.I.S., H.I.T., TJ, A&J, AA, etc etc, making way for initials in brands too. All this brings BOUNTI in a BONANZA. And to top it all, there’s HUSTLER, born in Pakistan !

The stores have scintillating names also. The DASH, RUSH, and CHASE for fashion give DIMENSIONS to the GAP in the FASHION ARCADE. This leads to a GREAT leap forward with RAYS enveloping the A TO ZEE of the GALAXY. One can go with SAHIBJEE or RAJA SAHIB to the TAJ MAHAL situated in a GULSHAN where MAHARAJAH is swaying to the lilting tunes of ANARKALI, adorned in dresses from DARUL-LIBAS, discovered by AL-BERUNI, and settling down in AL-JANNAT. From LIFESTYLE to CLASSIC, from SHALIMAR to JOYLAND, and from CHALLENGE to LIBERTY, there is a plethora of yahoo stores. The list goes on and on. All over Pakistan.

From Karachi to Khyber, the fashion revolution is in full swing. Thanx to the domestic garment producers and retailers, the people of Pakistan can get ready-made items ranging from infant-wear for newly-born to cute dresses for the tiny tots. From dazzling frocks for little ladies to glittering ensemble for their mums. From colorful T-shirts for the kids to dress suits for their older siblings. From a wide array of shirts, trousers, shalwar suits, jackets, safaris, and formal suits to sherwanis for the sophisticated man of today. Each and every item of wear is available aplenty, sincerely crafted with pride in Pakistan. There is absolutely no need to buy and wear alien goods anymore. Be Pakistany. Wear Pakistany !

The domestic apparel industry is a major labor-intensive scene in Pakistan. Thousands of male and even female employees work with dedication to produce the fashionable items of daily wear. Since most of the manufacturers are small scale industries, they usually give preference to lady workers who are adept in the delicate art of sewing. The end product, too, emerges out better if stitched by the loving hands of a female tailor. Women are also employed for cropping, trimming, packing, and other auxiliary tasks in the garment unit. Furthermore, the female workers augment the combined income of a household. Thus more opportunities can and should be created for women workers. The scope for employing female workers is more apparent in the garment industry because there is ample demand which necessitates the setting up of more garment factories.

The domestic apparel industry is also fighting a running battle with the influx of smuggled garments from Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The daily arrival of hundreds of couriers (Khepias) from these cities, carrying bulging suitcases, laden with thousands of dollars worth of illegal merchandise speaks volumes for the rampant smuggling done in broad daylight and with the obvious co-operation of unscrupulous customs’ personnel. These couriers, mostly illiterate, are promised a hedonistic outing in Bangkok, a full treatment of wine, women, and nightclub adventure with cash to spare. All they have to do is to tote the Taiwanese-made suitcases with them back on the return flight to home. The exotic life normally denied them in Pakistan, is provided in Bangkok, free of charge, courtesy the smugglers who finance their journey. What more can they ask for ? Of course, the apparel industry of the country can go to rot, for all they care.

The notorious Afghan Transit Trade Agreement is another enemy of the Pakistani industry. Under the garb of ATTA, the smugglers and the devils in the customs and border security forces join in cahoots with one another in flooding this nation with imported materials. Containers and containers full of apparel is ostensibly brought in for the Afghan citizens, only to find its way into the local Baras or stores in fashionable Malls and Plazas all over the country. ATTA is a vehicle to destroy the industry of Pakistan.

The government has also allowed the free imports of garments into the country at a very low rate of 35 % duty. This will, needless to say, open the flood-gates for the inflow of shoddy and cheap apparel into the country. This will be a big boon to exporters in Taiwan, Thailand, and Indonesia who want to get entry into Pakistan where they will be welcomed with open arms by the traditional importers here who will buy container loads of these junk clothing and, in the process, muscle out the genuine Pakistani industrialists.

The domestic apparel industry is also playing its designated role in fulfilling the cherished desire of the first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who strived to provide ROTI, KAPRA, MAKAN to the inhabitants of this glorious nation. The slogan promoted by the late Premier Bhutto in the PPP manifesto clearly signifies the importance he gave to clothing the populace decently and at affordable rates. The emphasis is on better products and at people’s rates, and the garment manufacturers have accepted the challenge and have endeavored to give the required product at the required price.

Alas, there are people in Pakistan who are out to kill this nascent industry. Alas, there are people in Pakistan who are out to implement the devious scheme to make sure that the Pakistani worker stands in the unemployment line while the tailor in a Bangkok, Jakarta, or Hong Kong garment sweatshop reaps in money upon money, furiously making apparel which will be purchased by smugglers for the Pakistani markets. Alas, there are people in Pakistan who are out to make the garment produced in Pakistan so expensive that they would be out of reach of the common man. Alas, there are people in Pakistan who are out with plans to keep the female labor force from working for the betterment of their families and at the same time contribute to the national welfare too. Alas, there are people in Pakistan who are out to make sure that the retail stores all over the nation are stocked to the brim with foreign apparel while Pakistani clothes are left out in the cold. Alas, there are people in Pakistan who are out who just do not give a damn about the patriotic slogan: BE PAKISTANI. BUY PAKISTANI !

The conspiracy hatched up by these people is to impose a GENERAL SALES TAX. The rate is a back-breaking 15 % on the retail price to be collected at the manufacturing stage. The draconian measures proposed by these high and mighty sitting in their cozy offices at the foot of the Margalla Hills will result in the strangulation of the garment industry. The factories will be compelled to cut down production because the products will become dearer for the common consumer, who will then prefer to get the garments stitched from the bespoke tailoring establishments. The reduction in production will inevitably lead to lay-offs of workers resulting in massive unemployment of workers, especially female workers. At present over 700 garment units have already closed down, according to Chaudary Fayyaz, the Chairman of Pakistan Ready-made Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association. Smuggling will increase because it will become more lucrative. Remember, the smugglers do not pay any sales tax, income tax, Social Security, EOBI, Education Cess, utility bills, etc. The local manufacturers will lose the incentive to initiate more research and development into their product line because of the apparent slackening in demand for their garments. The GST will be a downright recipe for disaster. All because somebody up there in Islamabad is giving bad advise to the Prime Minister. All because somebody up there in Islamabad got the bright idea to screw up the Pakistani economy by imposing, arbitrarily, the concept of a mind-boggling 15 % GST (more so on the suggestion of the tweedledums and the tweedledees in the IMP) on domestic products.

The more than 5000 manufacturers and retailers of the domestic garment industry have joined together like a bonded force to oppose this conspiracy to murder this industry. The stakes are high. They will not take the imposition of 12.50% GST lying down. The domestic garment manufacturers and retailers strongly condemn any and all imposition of this menace of GST. The time for becoming subservient to every dictate from the authorities in Islamabad is over. The time for inducing the policy makers to wake up to the realistic situation is now. They better first straighten out the mess they have made since the Independence of this nation. No more easy way out for them. No more taking the nation’s economy lightly by them. They should cut their cloth according to their requirement. The powers that be in Pakistan should take heed from what the Great American President, John F. Kennedy said: "If Government is to retain the confidence of the people, it must not spend more than can be justified on grounds of national need or spent with maximum efficiency".