Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) has convened a meeting of its Executive Committee on December 20 to express solidarity with the business community of Faisalabad who has been suffering due to an acute shortage of gas. A strategy to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the industrial sector will be finalised in the meeting. Preparation of political economic agenda and other important issues would also come under discussion in the meeting.
Showing concern on the ongoing scenario, PIAF Chairman Sohail Lashari, in a statement on Tuesday, said that acute energy shortage has halted industrial activities but authorities seem least interested to overcome the crisis. He said that industrial sector is facing prolonged gas load shedding. Hike in electricity tariff has become a routine matter. He said repeated increase in the gas, and electricity and petroleum products prices have pushed the industrial sector to the wall. He said that the industry is badly suffering because of energy crisis.
He said that former Wapda chairmen, experts and business community are constantly insisting for early construction of Kalabagh Dam while the people sitting at the helm of affairs have also recognised the importance of this dam. He said that Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Project could curtail gas shortage in the country but government is 'delaying the project on US pressure'. Chairman PIAF said that economic stability is requisite for the survival of the country but government and politicians have never played their role in this regard. Instead of preparing any agenda for economic revival of the country, politicians are busy in 'blame game'. He said that PIAF would draw a sketch for economic agenda and would invite proposals in this regard from the chambers of commerce and industry and trade associations.