PAKISTAN HOSIERY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION IS THE PREMIER TRADE ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING THE HOSIERY AND KNITWEAR INDUSTRY ACCELERATING AND PROVIDING GROWTH IN ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY, GENERATING IMMENSE EMPLOYMENT AND PROMOTING NATIONAL SELF RELIANCE.

ITS HISTORY DATES BACK TO THE YEAR 1960 WHEN PAKISTAN HOSIERY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION WAS ESTABLISHED BY A FEW DEDICATED INDUSTRIALISTS AND LEADING MANUFACTURERS OF HOSIERY AND KNITWEAR AND REGISTERED WITH THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE UNDER SECTION 26 OF THE COMPANIES ACT 1913 ON THE 7TH DAY OF JULY 1960 AND INCORPORATED UNDER THE COMPANIES ACT 1913 ON THE 31ST DAY OF AUGUST 1960 WITH THE MAIN OBJECT: "TO PROMOTE, DEVELOP, PROTECT, STIMULATE AND ENCOURAGE THE HOSIERY, KNITWEAR AND ALL MADE-UPS, FABRICS, HOME TEXTILE PRODUCTS OF COTTON, WOOL, SILK OR MAN-MADE FIBERS AND TO RAISE THE STANDARD OF THEIR PRODUCTION AND ENHANCE EXPORTS" AMONG OTHER AIMS & OBJECTS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER NORTH ZONE OFFICE WAS OPENED IN LAHORE FOLLOWED BY OFFICES IN FAISALABAD AND SIALKOT TO FACILITATE THE MEMBERS THERE AND TO PROVIDE PROMPT AND BETTER SERVICES TO THE MEMBERS AND EXPORTERS OF FAISALABAD, SIALKOT AND MULTAN.

THE HOSIERY AND KNITWEAR INDUSTRIAL NETWORK COMPRISES 3,500 LARGE, MEDIUM AND SMALL UNITS , 85% OF WHICH ARE SMALL ENTERPRISES, 10% MEDIUM VENTURES AND ONLY 5% LARGE INTEGRATED FACTORIES. THE INDUSTRY PROVIDES JOBS TO 700,000 PEOPLE IN AN ENVIRONMENT DOMINATED BY REDUNDANCIES AND DOWNSIZING IN GIANT MULTINATIONALS, FOREIGN BANKS AND BIG CORPORATIONS.

THE INDUSTRY SUSTAINS DIRECTLY, LIVELIHOOD OF 210,000 SKILLED WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES; 490,000 UNSKILLED WORKERS AND THEIR KITH AND KIN. ANOTHER 350,000 PEOPLE BENEFIT IN ALLIED COTTAGE INDUSTRIES. THUS THE INDUSTRY PROVIDES DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY SUSTENANCE TO WELL OVER A MILLION PEOPLE.

DESPITE BEING A LABOUR -INTENSIVE INDUSTRY , THE INVESTMENT IN THE KNITWEAR AND HOSIERY UNITS IS ESTIMATED AT RS. SEVEN BILLION AND TOPS THE LIST OF INDUSTRIES FOR VALUE ADDED EXPORTS RANKING AS THE SECOND LARGEST FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNER IN THE COUNTRY.

KNITWEAR EXPORTS CONSIST OF KNITTED AND PROCESSED FABRICS KNITTED GARMENTS; KNITTED BED SHEETS, SOCKS ETC. AND HAS THE LARGEST SHARE OF THE NATION'S TEXTILE EXPORTS. IT IS A PRIDE TO MENTION HERE THAT ALL THE EXPORTS OF ALL THE ABOVE KNITTED PRODUCTS IS 35 % OF THE NATION'S EXPORTS. THE KNITWEAR INDUSTRY CONSEQUENTLY EMERGES AS THE COUNTRIES TOP FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNER.

IN THE COUNTRY'S PRESENT STAGE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE GENERAL PERVEZ MUSHARRAF'S SEVEN POINT PROGRAMME FOR THE ECONOMIC REVIVAL OF THE NATION, THE KNITWEAR AND HOSIERY INDUSTRY PLAYS A VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE FOR THE BOOSTING OF THE EXPORTS AND TOWARDS REALIZATION OF THE EXPORT TARGET OF $10 BILLION.

IT IS A LABOUR- INTENSIVE INDUSTRY IN A CAPITAL SCARCE AND LABOUR-SURPLUS ECONOMY. ITS ROLE IN BROAD BASING PROSPERITY, ALLEVIATING POVERTY AND IN MAKING DOMESTIC MARKET PROSPEROUS IS MATCHED BY VERY FEW INDUSTRIES. IT IS AN ESTABLISHED FACT THAT TODAY, KNITWEAR AND HOSIERY PRODUCTS HAVE THE LARGEST CONSUMPTION. OBSERVE ANY SPORTS EVENT AND ONE WILL FIND MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE YOUNG AND OLD, MALE AND FEMALE, ALL WEARING KNITTED PRODUCTS. LARGE MULTINATIONALS, ALL OVER THE WORLD ADVERTISE THEIR PRODUCTS WITH THEIR MESSAGES PRINTED ON T-SHIRTS.

TODAY THERE ARE MANY COUNTRIES WHERE PEOPLE LIVE BELOW THE POVERTY LINE AND SPEND FIRST FOR FOOD, SHELTER AND THEN GARMENTS. KNITTED GARMENTS ARE DEFINITELY CHEAPER THAN WOVEN ONES, EASY TO WASH AND TRENDY, BEING USED ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE OVERALL GLOBAL PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF KNITTED GARMENTS IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT OF WOVEN GARMENTS. IT IS ALSO FORECAST THAT IN FUTURE KNIT SHIRT WILL REPLACE WOVEN SHIRT AND WILL BE IN GREAT DEMAND ALWAYS.

THIS INDUSTRY IS STRIVING TO BUILD UP THE IMAGE OF MADE IN PAKISTAN WHILE SPINNERS ONLY MANUFACTURE YARN AND EXPORT. THE EXPORTS OF THE PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED FROM THIS YARN BY THIRD COUNTRIES IS PRINTED AS "MADE IN BANGLADESH"; "MADE IN THAILAND" ETC. WHEREAS WE, THE VALUE-ADDED SECTOR SPECIALLY THE KNITWEAR PEOPLE ARE THE REAL ENTREPRENEURS WORKING REAL HARD AND HAVE SUCCEEDED IN MAKING KNITTED GARMENTS WITH THE LABEL "MADE IN PAKISTAN" WHICH IS TODAY FOUND IN ALL THE BEST STORES IN THE WORLD OF WHICH WE THE KNITWEAR INDUSTRY IS PROUD OF. FOR THE ABOVE STATED PREEMINENT POSITION CREATED INTERNATIONALLY BY THE KNITWEAR AND HOSIERY INDUSTRY IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THIS INDUSTRY BE ACCORDED IMPORTANT STATUS AND DEFINITELY DESERVES SPECIAL SUPPORT BOTH FROM THE GOVERNMENT AND THE SOCIETY AT LARGE TO HELP MAKE PAKISTAN A PROSPEROUS COUNTRY.


PHMA CENTRAL OFFICE

PHMA CENTRAL OFFICE IS CENTRALLY LOCATED IN IDEAL SURROUNDINGS AT PHMA HOUSE OFF. SHAHRAH-E-FASIAL IN P.E.C.H.S., BLOCK-6 JUST A KILOMETER AWAY FROM EPB OFFICE. IT IS ELEGANTLY FURNISHED WITH SPACIOUS RECEPTION LOUNGE FOR MEMBERS, REPRESENTATIVES AND VISITORS. LARGE PUBLIC DEALING COUNTERS WITH AUDIO SYSTEM AND SPEAKERS. COMPLETELY COMPUTERIZED MODERN AND SPACIOUS OFFICES FOR QUOTA SERVICING, QUOTA MANAGEMENT, ACCOUNTS, MEMBERSHIP, COMPUTER, LIBRARY AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS INCLUDING THE SECRETARIAT ON THE GROUND FLOOR WITH MOST MODERN AND ELEGANTLY FURNISHED, MEETING AND CONFERENCE HALL, AUDITORIUM FOR SEMINAR WITH AUDIO VISUAL SYSTEM AND CHAIRMEN ROOM ON THE 1ST FLOOR OF PHMA HOUSE. PHMA HOUSE HAS A LARGE PORCH AND FRONT YARD WHERE LARGE NUMBER OF MEMBER'S CARS CAN BE PARKED AND WHICH COMPOUND IS ALSO USED FOR GENERAL BODY MEETINGS OF MEMBERS.