Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front (Piaf) has strongly protested against the suspension of gas supply to 350 industrial units of Lahore Township Industrial Area and called for its restoration for the sake of economy of the country.
Piaf Executive Committee's meeting, chaired by Sohail Lashari, termed the suspension of gas to industrial units as an anti-industry step and said it would not only affect badly the exports by pushing the productions to the wall but also jack-up unemployment graph to unprecedented level.
The meeting also attended by former LCCI Presidents Mian Anjum Nisar, Mohammad Ali Mian, former Senior Vice President Sheikh Mohammad Arshad, Tahir Javaid Malik, LCCI Senior Vice President Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad and Chairman Lahore Township Industrial Area Association (LTIA) Iftikhar Bashir Chaudhry.
Piaf Chairman Sohail Lashari said the production in one of the largest industrial areas of the country had come to a halt because of suspension of gas that was raw material for a large segment of the industry. The loss due to gas suspension would run into billions of rupees for the industrial sector and it would also be a considerable amount for the government exchequer, he added.
He said the government needed to learn some lesson from China at least where no new venture was allowed to be established and unless and until it guaranteed electricity generation well before going into operation. Speaking on the occasion, Mian Anjum Nisar said it was very unfortunate that despite repeated requests, the government had not stopped issuing new gas connections on political ground while the mushroom growth of CNG stations in the country was enough to make the point that the supply of gas to the industry was not at the priority list of the government.
The Executive Committee also agreed to push the government for early completion of Pak-Iran gas pipeline so that the country could overcome electricity and gas crisis. There was a consensus among of the participants that the government must not take into consideration any pressures coming in the way of construction of Pak-Iran gas pipe Line.
The Committee also expressed grave concern over law and order situation in Karachi and called on the Federal and Sindh governments to immediately launch operation against the anti-social elements that were hell-bent to destroy the country. The meeting also urged the newly appointed Secretary Water and Power to look into the issue of suspension of electricity to steel furnaces as thousands of people were attached with this sector.
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