LAHORE: The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and the Chainstore Association of Pakistan (CAP) have launched a joint push to replace imported retail merchandise with locally made products and to help Pakistani fashion brands expand into international markets. The effort began on Friday with the first-ever Manufacturing Retail Working Session, held at APTMA House in Lahore.
The session brought together leading retail brands and major textile manufacturers. It forms part of APTMA’s broader plan, led by Patron-in-Chief Dr Gohar Ejaz, to raise textile exports by USD 3 billion within 12 months and by USD 10 billion over the next few years through value addition, industrial collaboration and the global expansion of Pakistani brands.
Addressing the gathering, APTMA Chairman Asad Shafi said Pakistan’s organized fashion retail sector is dominated by homegrown brands, which reflects the strength of local entrepreneurship, design and consumer understanding.
“The next step is to take these brands global,” he said.
“We should not limit our ambition to manufacturing products for international brands when we have the capability to develop, manufacture, brand and sell our own products to consumers around the world.”
Shafi noted that more than 80 percent of Pakistan’s textile exports are already value-added products such as apparel and home textiles. He argued, however, that the country captures too little of the total value. Manufacturing typically accounts for less than 30 percent of the final retail value of apparel, he said, with the rest generated through design, branding, marketing, distribution and retail. He said Pakistan must move beyond being mainly a manufacturing destination and become a country that owns globally recognized brands.
He added that globally competitive brands need globally competitive local supply chains. Under Dr Ejaz’s guidance, he said, APTMA member companies are joining hands with domestic retailers to supply international-standard fabrics, finished products, technical expertise and innovation.
The session gave retailers a chance to present actual imported products and explain the difficulties of sourcing locally, including gaps in quality, technology, product development, pricing and delivery. Manufacturers showcased their technical capabilities and product innovations, with the aim of replacing imports with locally developed alternatives.
Retail brands in attendance included Cross Stitch, Kiji, Maria.B, Limelight, Sapphire, Nishat Linen, Outfitters, Zeitgeist, Cougar, Royal Tag, Charcoal and Wewear. Among the manufacturers and exporters present were Kohinoor Mills, Nagina Group, Shahzad Textile Mills, Resham Textile Mills, Din Textile Mills, Din Industries and Crescent Textile Mills.
The event was moderated by Muhammad Ali Chaudhry of Resham Textile Mills, who is also Vice Chairman of APTMA North Zone. Wasif Sikandar Butt, an APTMA Executive Committee member and the newly appointed CAP chairman, attended alongside CAP Patron Rana Tariq. He stressed that closer cooperation between manufacturers and retailers is essential to reducing import dependence and building internationally competitive products.
Shafi announced the APTMA will work to make this collaboration permanent through continued buyer-supplier engagement, product development initiatives and stronger coordination between the two sectors. He said the association will also engage the Federal Ministries of Commerce, Finance and Planning, the Federal Board of Revenue, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan and other public sector bodies to develop a national strategy covering export facilitation, market access, trade promotion and brand development.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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