Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has demanded immediate restoration of gas supply to textile industry in order to save this precious foreign exchange earning sector from collapse. Expressing resentment over gas suspension to textile industry in Punjab here on Tuesday, FPCCI Regional Chairman/Vice President Khawaja Zarar Kaleem termed it unilateral and arrogant.
He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif should intervene and restore gas supply to textile sector as this would lead to missing export orders, capital flight, labour lay-off, worsening of law and order and decline in government's revenue. Kaleem said that sudden cut in gas supply would push the textile industry to the wall that is already facing huge problems owing to high input cost and other issues. Unilateral polices and decisions without taking stakeholders into the loop should be stopped as the country, at present, is going through a very serious economic crisis in terms of escalating cost of production, he added.
The FPCCI Regional Chairman said the textile industry is the backbone of the economy but still facing a worst attitude of the government on energy supply. In particular, he said Punjab is home of 60 percent of textile industry where energy constraints were hampering its viability by and large. He further pointed out that the job of hundred and thousands of textile workers are at stake due to short energy supply. It will lead to law and order situation, as the unemployed workers would get involve in looting the public to meet their both ends.
He said that energy crisis is a major contributing factor to the slow economic growth rate by negatively impacting Pakistan's already meagre economy. Electricity is a basic requirement for the economic development and for an adequate standard of living of a country. Pakistan though, having the potential to meet its energy needs, has remained unable to utilise its indigenous resources to overcome the energy crisis.
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