We probably don’t even realise it, but textiles (and I don’t really intend to pun here) are part and parcel of the fabric of our daily lives. In the vast continuum of the South Asian story, textiles stretch to 5,000 years ago - and perhaps more. A common point of reference is the statuette of the Priest-King of Mohenjodaro, wearing what appears to be an embroidered trefoil. Be that as it may, it can be said with some certitude that textiles have enlivened and embellished the daily lives of the people of South Asia for a very long time. The rich have commissioned them from their master weavers, dyers, blockprinters and embroiderers, and the poor have relied on their womenfolk (mainly) to do the same - within straightened means for sure, yet still joyfully adorning themselves in finery as demanded by the occasion.

Colours, woven, threaded, or knitted, define what we love to adorn, be it our clothes, our homes or even the interiors of our vehicles.

And so it is that in the 21st century, Pakistanis enthusiastically continue to find joy in traditions born many thousands of years ago, all the while creating new ones and stylistic adaptations of their own. In the interim, the fabrication of textiles and their applications have evolved, first gradually, then in accelerated mode, thanks to the Industrial Revolution and subsequent technological advancements. Suffice it to say that the history of textiles is as rich as the fabrics themselves and (pun alert) as intricately woven in the stories we love to hear about heroic conquests and perfidious hubris. Symbols of wealth, power and privilege - almost every facet of the human condition, from joy to sorrow and everything in between - have found their own expressions in the functionality that textiles offer for any occasion. Now, in an ecologically and climate-endangered world, textiles are being reassessed in light of their environmental impact in terms of their sourcing and manufacturing processes (chemical pollution and water utilisation), leading to global calls for sustainable sourcing, recycling and repurposing.

In Pakistan, textiles have long been a major engine of our economy. Textile mills were among the first industrial units to be set up after Independence in 1947 and played a pivotal role in contributing to the country’s boom in the sixties, when Pakistan’s economy was seen (all too briefly) as emergent and robust. Sixty years on, the textile industry has progressed further (reportedly accounting for eight percent plus of our GDP and 60% of our exports), but it is also undeniable that for the last couple of decades, the sector has been increasingly unable to move forward in any significant way. To some extent, this can be attributed to a lack of imagination by the industry itself, exacerbated by an aversion to taking risks and a preference to invest in safer options. Equally undeniable is that Pakistan’s economic performance, riding on the back of persistently flawed policymaking, has, at the very least, dampened any spark of entrepreneurial drive - and given present economic circumstances, there are only glimmers of light at the end of this tunnel.

Export markets are shrinking because policies do not facilitate the compliance required to do business with profitable markets, and the domestic market is in increasing disarray as inflation erodes the purchasing power of the middle classes. Is Pakistan manufacturing only to sell to the one percent?

Fixing this was never rocket science and policymakers are pretty much up to speed about what needs to be done. The problem is political will and entrenched power centres embedded in the administrative machinery who act as spoilers when challenged by policies that fail to advance their own interests. And perhaps most pernicious of all is the indifference of a bureaucracy inclined to hinder rather than facilitate. These problems are not unique to Pakistan, and the role of good governance must be to overcome systemic flaws rather than be acquiescent. Meanwhile, the textile industry ploughs on, taking what it can as a win and waiting to fight another day - a state of play applicable to every enterprise in the country.

Doing business in Pakistan is becoming even harder, and how launching a digital registry of the country’s business laws and regulations, as announced by the government, is going to make the blindest bit of difference is really hard to say.

Eyes Wide Shut: What a glorious moment Arshad Nadeem has given Pakistan. He believed in himself and he made it. The achievement is his and only his. He was not given the support he deserved, neither by our government, our sports’ institutes, nor our brands. Imagine a brand that did support him. Imagine the immensity of the brand love that it would be garnering now. Imagine the ROI! And it wasn’t as if Arshad Nadeem came out of nowhere. He has been here for a long time. Winning a gold at the South Asian Games in 2019; coming fifth in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo; and winning yet another gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. It seems we were just staring at him with our eyes wide shut.