Why Pakistan?

[Blueline72]

So all of the less than high quality highland accouterments, sporrans, jackets, chanters....etc. Seem to be made in Pakistan. Why is that I wonder. I mean, why not China or Vietnam like everything else these days? Is the slave labor in Pakistan more suited to the production of highland goods than the slave labor in China or Vietnam? (sorry was that offsides?) Anyway, maybe it's just my perception, just curious.

[Chas]

There is no slave labour in Pakistan.

[cessna152towser]

When India/Pakistan was a British colony, bagpipe production began in the city of Sialkot and this later developed into production of kilts etc. as several pipe bands formed in the city. Almost all Pakistani products for the kilt/bagpipe market come from Sialkot where several factories are now engaged in producing these goods. They do specialise in mass produced low quality items but if you are willing to pay a bit more, some of the Pakistani products do offer excellent quality against price and I have no gripe with the Pakistani imports which I have purchased here in Scotland.

[ratspike]

I've wondered about this a time or two myself, generally after I've had to file yet another complaint with ebay over my stolen photos being used by Pakistani sellers. I assumed it was left over from the British military presence back in the day, though I may very well be completely wrong.

[Texas4wheeler]

I'm glad you asked that blueline , I've wondered that myself

[Hawk]

I'm waiting for the load of answers and comments coming, as I see eight people on this thread...

Hawk

[artificer]

Actually, Blueline- there are several firms in Pakistan that do certain types of embroidery and bullion for uniforms (British) that, at this point, nobody else in the WORLD does (think gold/silver threaded dress uniform work).

As Cessna152towser said, the Pakistanis got their start in making Regimental wear during the British colonial period, and due to the expense and massive amount of hand labour in some of these styles,
they are the only ones still doing them.

Not EVERYTHING that comes out of Pakistan is low-quality tat... But loads of it is.

ith:

[Steve Ashton]

Pakistan is actually one of the major manufacturing centers of the world.

Pakistan is the 8th largest exporter of textiles in the world

It is the fourth largest producer of Cotton and the third largest center for spinning, dying and weaving in the world. 76% of all Denim in the world is woven in Pakistan. Mind boggling if you think about all the blue jeans out there. They are also one of the leading centers for synthetic fibers and fabrics. Virtually all the Poly/Cotton fabric is done in Pakistan.
The Pakistani textile industry employees 30% of its total population.

If you have ever had surgery or been to a dentist it is a pretty good bet that the implements used were manufactured in Pakistan.

If you have ever played volleyball, badminton, tennis, or just about any sport for that matter it is a good bet that the equipment you used was made in Pakistan.

Sailkot Pakistan has been a hub of manufacturing for a very long time. Since the middle ages. Since WWII they have modernized just a bit.
During the period of the British they began to tailor kilts and the uniforms for the Highland Regiments stationed in the region.

Since, an entire and uniquely Pakistani, kilt and accessory industry has developed. Quite removed from the Scottish traditions, the Pakistani's have embraced the kilt as few other places. There are over 50 pipe bands in Sailkot alone. They hold an annual pipe band parade and competition. The outfits must be seen to be believed.

Anyone in the kilt business gets 20 or 30 emails a week from new and existing companies in Sailkot offering kilts and accessories. For three years I kept a file of these companies but dropped it simply because there were too many.

Pakistani kilts and bagpipes are recognizable all over the world. They share some common features. At first glance is is hard to tell some of them apart. In some cases it is one company that re-sells to others and in some cases you are seeing clones. It is a very common and accepted practice to copy what sells.

The nominal per capita income was only $1295.00 usd in 2013 making it very attractive to western markets looking for a capable but inexpensive labor force.

[OC Richard]

Still one wonders why Sialkot Pakistan and not some other place that had a Highland garrison... which brings up the question, where else were Highland soldiers stationed in the Empire?

Many places in India and Africa and Asia and the Caribbean etc had British garrisons and the potential for manufacture and cheap labour. But which places had longstanding Highland presence?

[Steve Ashton]

There is an enduring myth that I cannot verify that says that it was not kilts or uniforms that started all this but sporting goods.
The myth says that some British Officer broke his lawn tennis racket and went into Sailkot to have it repaired.

Kilt manufacturing in Sailkot is fairly recent. Only in the last few years. Since the advent of synthetic kilts which started with Bear Kilts back in 2001 and USA Kilts soon thereafter. There is some evidence that The Gold Bros. also had some part in this. There are some who claim that it was The Gold Bros. who sent the first Casual type, synthetic kilt, to Pakistan to be copied.
Some point to the use of "P/V" as a sort of catch phrase for any synthetic kilt as evidence of this.

They were producing musical instruments, hand embroidered patches for uniforms and leather goods long before they began to get into kilts. I honestly do not think that British units in the region is the reason, as British presence ended there in 1947. I think it is economics. They found a market and began to exploit it.