Chairman speaks at first meeting of Pakistan leather garment producers association
Fawad Ijaz Khan, the Managing Director of Ideal Pvt Ltd, has been elected Chairman of Pakistan’s new Leather Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PLGMA).
The announcement was made at the first meeting of the association, held in Karachi last week, at which the new Chairman attributed its creation the growing number of leather garment manufacturers in the country. In 2000-01, Pakistan’s leather garment exports amounted to $383 million - more than 50% of the country’s total leather exports. This made it imperative that the sector should have its own representative body, Ijaz Khan said. However, he also stressed that there will be no conflict of interest with the existing Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA).
Pakistan’s leather garment manufacturers originally applied for their own Association with the government in 1994. However, it was not until the issue of an appropriate licence by the Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce, Mirza Qamar Baig last month that they were able to realise their ambition.
The association will have a central office in Karachi, which will also act as the southern regional office. A northern zone office is to be established in Sialkot. At the Karachi meeting, M. Saleem and Imjaz Latif were appointed Chairmen of the southern and northern zones respectively. They will also hold the office of joint Vice Chairman of the national association.
