Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has stopped the gas supply to more than 600 industries for next 96 hours (Four days) from Sunday morning, while industrialists of Punjab are still waiting for implementation of Prime Minister's promises and no outcome seen so far.
About 100,000 power looms remained closed because supply of beams of sized yarn suspended due to gas-shedding to sizing industries and textile processing and printing factories are not in position to dispose off the huge stock of grey cloth in limited period of their working. As many as 400,000 workers most of them daily wagers remained jobless, who are facing hunger at their home due to non-availability of livelihood.
Commenting over the prevailing gas and electricity Load shedding, Chaudhry Salamat Ali, Chairman, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PHMA) North Zone said that the export oriented and labour intensive value-added textile industry is facing loss of billion of rupees daily due to gas shedding, while "Mark-up Meter" of banks is generating another financial crisis. It has become difficult for the textile industry to continue the production process and their exports of goods are fast becoming uncompetitive even in Pakistan, he added.
He also expressed grave concern on heavy import duty of 35 percent on Pakistani grey fabrics and 52 percent on garments by Turkish authorities. Salamat Ali pointed out that Turkish Government was negotiating expansion of mutual trade with Punjab Government and exploring area of investment, while heavy import duties were being imposed on fabrics and garments.
He said that the imposition of heavy import duty would be huge set back to Pakistani textiles. This move of the Turkish Government has come at a time when Pakistani textiles were already struggling to gain market access to EU and American markets, he added.
He demanded that a high level government delegation should immediately take up the matter with Turkish Government and apprise them of the far reaching negative impact of this move on Pakistani textiles and economy.