APTMA disputes official record, says key cotton revival decisions omitted

The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has challenged the minutes issued by the Ministry of National Food Security and Research (MNFSR) on the government’s cotton revival plan, saying the document does not match the directives given by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar during a recent meeting.

In a letter sent to Dar, Aptma said the session had outlined major policy shifts for reviving cotton production, but the official record released later “fails to reflect the proceedings” and instead presents a version shaped by bureaucratic preferences. Aptma said several decisions agreed upon by the chair and participants were omitted or inaccurately stated.

Aptma said the main gap relates to institutional reforms for the Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC). During the meeting, it said, MNFSR was told to amend rules under the Cotton Cess Act to expand private-sector participation and ensure Aptma’s lead role in the restructured body. According to the Association, MNFSR officials acknowledged that changing the PCCC’s name to the proposed Pakistan Cotton Board would take longer legally, but immediate reforms could be introduced through rule changes. Aptma said this understanding does not appear in the minutes.

The Association said the record also excludes an agreement to allocate 70 percent of total cess collections to research and development and 30 percent to administrative costs — a shift endorsed by both Dar and the Minister for MNFSR to correct a system where only about 5 percent of funds go to research. Aptma said the minutes instead revert to the older ECC 2011 framework, which the meeting had moved away from.

A separate dispute concerns the cess rate. MNFSR initially proposed Rs142.80 per bale, but Aptma asked for a ceiling of Rs100 due to industry pressures. The Minister for MNFSR approved the Rs100 rate and instructed that the Federal Board of Revenue collect the cess directly to improve transparency, with a possible joint mechanism to be explored. Aptma said the minutes play down this directive and reference earlier arrangements.

Aptma added that the meeting concluded with a decision that the restructured cotton body would have industry-majority representation, with Aptma leading the revival effort. The minutes, it said, dilute this by offering general references to provincial, academic and farmer representation while omitting the specific instruction on Aptma’s leadership role.

Aptma said the omissions change the administrative and legal outcome of the meeting and could delay the revival programme. It asked Dar to direct MNFSR and the Cabinet Division to withdraw the minutes, issue a corrected version reflecting all decisions, and circulate it to participants before final approval.

The Association said transparent and accurate recordkeeping is essential for policy continuity and warned that the current minutes could derail the government’s cotton recovery plan. Secretary General Shahid Sattar said the correct record “must be issued immediately” so the process can proceed without bureaucratic hurdles.