The Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA) has completed its leadership transition. Sohail Afzal Sheikh was elected Central Chairman for the 2026-28 term, Aamir Lakhani as Senior Vice Chairman, and Ansar Aziz Puri as Vice Chairman. The new team pledged to drive apparel export growth as the industry faces new tariffs, high energy costs and tightening buyer requirements.

Key Points

  • Sohail Afzal Sheikh was elected PRGMEA Central Chairman for the 2026-28 term, with Aamir Lakhani and Ansar Aziz Puri serving as Senior Vice Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively.
  • In the first two months of FY2026-27 (July-August), Pakistan's textile and apparel exports rose 5.55% year-on-year to US$3.4 billion; apparel exports grew 13.59% to US$827 million.
  • The association will send a delegation to COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, and calls for safeguarding GSP+ market access and addressing the impact of US tariffs.

Sohail Afzal said the industry is entering a critical transition period, in which sustainability, digitalization, traceability, trade policy shifts and evolving buyer requirements are increasingly vital to global competitiveness. He noted that Pakistan's apparel industry must prepare for the EU's Digital Product Passport as well as broader sustainability and supply chain rules, and stressed the need to invest in energy efficiency, renewable energy, resource efficiency, decarbonization and digital systems to maintain and expand access to international markets.

On policy demands, Sheikh called for safeguarding GSP+ market access, addressing the impact of US tariffs, and promoting diversification of export markets. He said the government should improve the business environment through competitive energy tariffs, timely tax refunds and rebates, simplified regulation, better access to financing and efficient trade facilitation.

The new leadership takes office as Pakistan's textile sector shows modest growth. According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, textile and apparel exports rose from US$3.2 billion in July-August of the previous fiscal year to US$3.4 billion in the same period of FY2026-27, up 5.55%. Apparel outperformed most categories, with exports up 13.59% to US$827 million in the first two months of the fiscal year. On an annual basis, textile exports grew only 0.26% to US$17.93 billion last fiscal year, while apparel exports rose 3.87% to US$4.29 billion.

Sheikh also said the association will continue international engagement, including sending a delegation to COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, to present the Pakistani apparel industry's position on climate action, textile decarbonization and sustainable global supply chains. The new leadership said its priorities will be export growth, policy advocacy, market access, sustainability, digital transformation and industry-government cooperation.

For the used clothing and textile trade, the direction of green compliance and market access in Pakistan's apparel exports will affect its positioning in international supply chains and may indirectly influence the flow of raw materials and procurement patterns in the global second-hand clothing and recycled textile sectors.

Source: Apparel industry pledges to ramp up exports | The Express Tribune · Originally published on 2026-09-30