SOHAFF SHAWALS (A)

SOHAFF SHAWLS (A)

Executive Summary:
The Sahaf family had emigrated from Kashmir and also involved in embroidering shawls. Abdul
Ahad Sahaf is the family tree of Sahaf family and settled in Amritsar, he continued the trading of
Kashmiri shawls. The Sahaf familys shop was one of the two Muslim owned in a wollen shawl
market. In 1934, Shahdin bought a shop in Bombay for his sanaullah and named it Khawaja
Qamaruddin and Zaheeruddin (KQZ), Qamaruddin was working with sanaullah. KQZ was now a
large wollen shawl trading firm with customers in Calcutta, Hyderabad, Madras, Bombay and the
Middle East. Shahdin was not very optimistic about the future of wollen shawls business in
Pakistan. In 1948, Qamaruddin decided to restart the operation in Pakistan. Ghulam Mustafa had
been KQZs labour in-charge in Amritsar. He found out that most of their workers from Amritsar
were unable to find proper occupation in Pakistan and were involved in menial jobs as hired
laborers or as tea boys Jolaha (weaving subcontractor), Tupgars (embroiderers) and Rangrez
(dyeing subcontractors) was worked in KQZ.
In 1951, KQZ was the only company in the wollen shawls industry in Pakistan. In 1952, KQZ set
up a waving operation with 25 imported power looms. Shaukats father had separated from the
family business and was replaced by the Naseeruddin. Competition in the shawl business started
to grow in 1960s; many other producers in Lahore also started exploring the Middle East market.
In 1979, acrylic became very popular in the shawls business. Sohaff Shawls were generally
considered market leader in quality. Pakistani shawl manufactures were producing better quality
plain shawls. The market had expanded about two or three times in 1974 to 1994. Many of the
shawls producers had diversified into different cotton product as well.
Statement Problems:

Faced with financial difficulties in the weaving business

Returns for Embroidery were much less as compared to other cottage industries.
SZS could not have shown so much profit in few years
Dont good relationship in Sahaf family

GIFT UNIVERSITY

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SOHAFF SHAWALS (A)

Causes of the Problem:

GIFT UNIVERSITY

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