The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) leadership has urged the government to honour its commitment of four days a week gas supply to textile industry. Acting Chairman Aptma Seth Muhammad Akber, Chairman Aptma Punjab Ahsan Bashir and Group Leader Aptma Gohar Ejaz held an emergency conference on Wednesday evening, expressing deep concerns over sudden downward revision in gas supply to textile from four days to three days a week.
They said the government had cut gas supply to textile to five days initially, followed by four days and now three days a week at present. The textile industry has already suffered gas disruption of 153 days during current calendar year and it is likely to reach to 180 days in case the present trend continues ahead, they added.
When asked they said a notice has been served to Aptma suggesting frequency of gas supply from four days to three days a week. Gohar said this notice has perturbed the industry at large, putting production further under pressure and leading to massive unemployment and decline in exports. The industry has employed 15 million workforce and contributed $14 billion exports to the country's $25 billion exports during 2010-11.
It may be noted that the Federal Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain had assured the Aptma leadership of continuing with four days a week gas supply schedule about a week earlier. However, his strong commitment is proved untrue right after one week and further reduction is likely to take place once mercury drops below 10 degree centigrade ahead.
The Aptma leadership said the government should honour its commitment to avoid devastating impact of gas curtailment for textile industry. They said the government should review its priorities on gas supply immediately to save the textile industry.
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