SIALKOT - Chairman Pakistan Gloves Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PGMEA) Muhammad Younas has demanded the imposition of ban on the export of blue split leather to protect the gloves industry from total collapse. Addressing a press conference here Tuesday, he pointed out that export blue split leather was adversely hindering the gloves industry resultantly sufficient material was not avail in the market. We have huge foreign orders of gloves but due to non-availability of material business community is confronted with multiple problems, he said. The chairman PGMEA was of the opinion it will be serious blow to national exchequer if the situation remained the same and Pakistan will lose its grip in international market. Though the government had imposed 20 percent duty on the export of split leather but unfortunately it was being exported by the changing of code, he revealed. He said that it is high time that government should take immediate action in this regard not only for safeguarding the gloves industry but also to keep the gloves industry alive in the global market. The timely action of the government would not only supportive to protect the gloves industry and avoid the huge unemployment of more than 2 million industrial workers engaged with the gloves industry, he added. The PGMEA chairman disclosed that smuggling of animals and export of split leather are the main causes of decline in the export of gloves and according to an estimate over 3 million animals had so far been smuggled to Afghanistan as a result of which prices of meat, beef and milk had been shot up. The government should adopt appropriate measures to discourage the menace of smuggling of animals for bringing down the prices of meat, beef and milk to facilitate the common man as well as the gloves industry, he said. He pointed out that export of gloves was over 280 million dollars but there was a rapid decline in the export. The PGMEA stressed upon the government to exempt main industrial hubs including Sialkot from electricity loadshedding for ensuring the smooth productivity. If electricity load shedding unavoidable than government should formulate a separate load shedding programme with the consent of the business communities of industrial cities, he suggested.