More than 600 industrial units of the region remained closed, here on Thursday, under the new schedule of four-day gas load-shedding up-to December 19, while industrialists, textile exporters and industrial workers took out protest procession, staged demonstration and blocked busiest roads for several hours against the load-shedding.
Meanwhile, industrialists had tried to run their industry forcibly, but Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited stopped total supply to domestic and commercial sector in the industrial city causing severe problems for citizen as well as restaurants, 'tandoors' and other commercial consumers.
At the joint call of Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA) North Zone, Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pakistan Textile Exporters Association, All Pakistan Bed Sheet and Upholstery Manufacturers Association, Khurrianwala Industrial Estate, Millat Industrial Estate and All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, industrialists, textile exporters and industrial workers staged demonstration at all entry points of the city.
They raised slogans against the federal government. The speakers alleged that wide scale mismanagement is yielding negative impact over the national economy and hurting industrial investment of billion dollars, which was being sinking. They raised slogans demanding immediate action by the Government to stop discrimination in gas supply.
Major procession was taken out from Millat Industrial Estate and blocked the Millat Road for several hours. Procession was led by Qamar Aftab, Vice Chairman, Chaudhry Salamat Ali, Muhammad Amjad Khuwaja former Chairmen, PHMA North Zone, Mian Naeem Ahmad, Naeem ul Haq, Zia Alamdar and Mubeen Alam.
Briefing the media, Chaudhry Salamat Ali, Chief Co-ordinator and former Chairman of Pakistan Hosiery manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA) North Zone said government was intentionally creating hurdles in smooth running of the Textile Industry by minimising gas pressure. He pointed out that the situation in textile industry has become horrible due to poor gas supply by SNGPL and demanded of the government to immediately settle this chronic issue of gas supply after taking all stake-holders into confidence.
Furthermore, he said that government should honour its commitment to avoid devastating impact of gas curtailment for textile industry and government should review its priorities on gas supply immediately to save the value added export oriented and labour intensive textile industry.
He said that in the current global scenario and stiff international competition exporters are struggling hard day and night despite heavy odds against them battling to toe the line and meet their export commitments with stringent demands from their foreign buyers. Unfortunately, it seems that the government does not care at all how important it is for the exporters to earn the sorely needed foreign exchange for the nation.
He urged the government to take serious view of gas-shedding national losses and take immediate steps to resolve the crucial issue being faced by exporters on top priority basis. Four-day gas load shedding in a week is converting the valuable machinery textile industry worth billion dollars into scrape, snatching livelihood from millions and striving to compete in the international export market, which is a great loss of foreign exchange, he added.
Meanwhile, big protest rallies and demonstrations were also held at Khurrianwala under the auspices of save industry action committee by thousands of workers, staff and mill owners of Textile industry to register their protest against four days unprecedented gas load shedding and demanding equal gas supply across the board.
The demonstrators assembled at Khurrianwala and took out protest procession. The protestors were carrying banners and placards asking the Government to save the textile industry by providing the basic and essential production factor to industry. Later, the rally marched the main roads of industrial belt at Khurrianwala and staged a sit in. Rana Arif Tauseef, Chairman PTEA addressing the rally said that textile sector was the most labour-intensive sector employing millions of workforce and also large number of ancillary sector. Hence the survival of the textile industry was in the greater national interest. Shortage of gas has endangered millions of dollars worth export orders of textiles. To sustain the industry and to provide employment to labour force of the country, gas should be provided to textile industry, he added.
Rehan Naseem Bharara, Vice Chairman FCCI said that government still could not develop long-term strategy and planning to tackle gas crisis, which is putting an adverse effect on the production. Especially exporters of textile would face lots of problems, because they would not be able to produce and export textile products at the given time frame.
Mian Farhan Latif, former President and former member National Assembly, said that Government should take cognisance of the serious situation resultant upon the closure of textile units and joblessness of the workers.
Mian Aftab Ahmad of APTPMA warned government to reschedule the gas load management plan otherwise large number of industrial units would be shutdown and thousands of labour and their families would be deprived of their bread and butter. Leaders of textile industry appealed the government to immediately intervene in this high time and save the textile industry by immediately stopping gas load-shedding and discrimination with the industry.
Comments
Comments are closed.