Pul-i-Khumri textile factory restructured; awaits inauguration

PUL-I-KHUMRI (Pajhwok): The Pul-i-Khumri textile factory in northern Baghlan province has been reactivated after a long time and will be inaugurated shortly, an official said on Monday.

The textile factory that stopped functioning during the past government would again start operation with the capacity of producing all kinds of colored clothes.

Abdul Matin Hanafi, head of the factory’s technical affairs, said: “Some of the fabric production machines of Pul-i-khamri textile factory are already ready to produce high quality and standard fabrics that are in demand by the market, it has been done and soon we will start production during an official opening ceremony.”

He said before this, the factory machines only produce white cloth in 80 cm width, but after this, we would be able to produce high quality white cloth in 120 cm width. In addition to common clothes, it would also produce special fabric for the uniforms of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) security personnel.

Former employees of the factory said after a long delay they could not expected the reopening of this factory.

Sayed Masoud, 75, one of the employees, said: “I was very sad when I retired from this factory in 1382 and after that the factory collapsed, but now I am very happy with its restoration and operation of this factory.”

Painda Mohammad, one of the newly hired employees, said he would have gone to Iran if not employed in this factory.

Farshi, in-charge of the factory rehabilitation affairs, said currently 160 people have been hired in this factory and with the rehabilitation of the factory the number of employees would be raised to 1,000 persons.

It is pertinent to mention that Pul-i-Khumri textile factory was established in 1937, had 3,000 employees and operated smoothly till 1979, but due to civil wars, the factory suspended and resumed occasionally till 2003 and finally in 2017 its operation was suspended according to a decision by the previous government.

The rehabilitation work of the factory started last year by the IEA and according to the official it would be inaugurated soon.

nh