Federal Minister for Textile Makhdoom Shahabuddin said on Saturday that the government considered textile and cotton as the prime sectors of the economy. "I have opposed the procurement of cotton through Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) because it was not in the interest of growers as the 96% cotton had gone to ginneries.
Addressing a press conference at Multan Press Club along other party leaders like Khalid Hanif Lodhi, Khurshid Ahmed Khan, M. Salim Raja, the minister said that there was no reality in these charge that Aptma had established a cartel to fleece the cotton growers. Defending Aptma, Shahabuddin said that growers had got price of their produce according to international market.
The minister said that they would announce a feasible package for the farmers so that they could get fertilisers, high-speed diesel, seed and farm implements on discount rates. He affirmed that they would not let anyone hijack this package like yellow cab scheme. He said that a middle class person could not get a single yellow cab and rich people got benefit of this scheme.