Pakistan news and archive

A new report links public funds to labour abuses in Pakistan’s textile sector

A new report from Swedwatch, the Swedish NGO focused on business, human rights and environmental responsibility, has exposed troubling failings in Europe’s procurement framework, failings that are allowing exploitative labour practices in Pakistan’s textile industry to persist, despite stated commitments to sustainability and human rights. The...

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In India, ‘patriotic’ fashion is snapped up after conflict with Pakistan

Just hours after India's first missiles were fired at Pakistan, entrepreneurs immediately saw a business opportunity. They launched the manufacture of T-shirts and other merchandise in the colours of “Operation Sindoor”. From May 6-10, the two nuclear powers were on the brink of another war. They triggered the most serious military confrontation...

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Pakistan's delicate Eid bangles go from furnace to forearms

Layers of intricately decorated bangles are a staple fashion accessory for women in Pakistan, a carefully considered part of their Islamic Eid-al-Fitr celebrations. More than a dozen people can be involved in the making of a single bangle, from sweltering factories to the homes of designers who skilfully decorate them by hand. "Whatever the...

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Major retailers named in new report exposing exploitation of garment workers in Pakistan

A new report by garment worker solidarity group Labour Behind the Label has accused a slew of major retailers of violating human rights in their Pakistan-based supply chains, largely driven by what the firm called “informalisation” of the workforce. Developed alongside human rights law firm Global Rights Compliance, the report details evidence...

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Pakistan could be a global leader in organic cotton production

Leading agricultural scientists, academics, and policymakers in Pakistan are confident of the country's potential to become a global leader in organic cotton production. This consensus emerged during the second annual Organic Cotton Pakistan conference, organized by SAWIE, a platform facilitating agricultural monitoring in Pakistan. The...

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Hugo Boss signs Pakistan Accord, commits to workplace safety

German fashion group Hugo Boss has announced the signing of the Pakistan Accord, which sees it make a commitment to the protection of health and safety for its garment workers. The Pakistan Accord was first introduced late last year as an extension of Bangladesh’s 2021 International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment...

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Pakistan finally announces International Accord workplace safety program

After a decade-long push towards safer garment factory in Pakistan, the International Accord was finally announced on Wednesday, cheered on by 187 brand signatories, Pakistani unions and NGO witness signatories. The new agreement is modelled on the Bangladesh Accord, which was signed after the 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse. “After years of...

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Kik commits to Pakistan Accord

In view of fires and industrial accidents in Pakistan's garment and textile factories, calls for a Pakistan Accord are growing louder. This would be an extension of the International Accord on Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry, which Pakistani garment trade unions have been calling for since 2018. It is based on the...

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Global cotton crisis: Floods in Pakistan could damage 45 percent of country’s cotton

The devasting floods in Pakistan could be the beginning of a new cotton crisis. An estimated 40 to 45 percent of the country’s cotton crops have been ravished by storms. This will have a disastrous effect on the world’s cotton cycle, sending prices to rocketing heights. Pakistan is one of the world’s biggest cotton producers, the fifth largest...

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Jack & Jones first brand to use in-conversion cotton from Pakistan

The Milliner Cotton Organic project between supplier Artistic Milliners, more than 2,000 farmers and brands and retailers, secures farm-to-fashion traceability and works in a direct-to-farm approach that focuses on more than securing the supply of cotton: through farmer trainings and improved livelihoods, the approach benefits the entire...

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Pride and pique as Louboutin takes Pakistan chappal global

Famed for luxury red-soled stilettos,French shoe designer Christian Louboutin has taken inspiration for a new sandal from Pakistan's tribal frontier, sparking claims of cultural appropriation along with grins from grizzled Pakistani cobblers. A post on Louboutin's Instagram last month announcing the release of the shoe sparked a social media...