The severest ever load shedding of gas and poor and miserable low pressure supply of gas to the export-oriented textile industries in Karachi is greatly affecting and seriously hurting the industries in Karachi leading to serious repercussions.
This was stated in a joint Press Statement issued by the 7 leading Town Associations represented by Irfan Motan, Chairman, SITE Association of Industry; Ehtesham Uddin, Chairman, Korangi Association of Trade & Industry; Ziad Bashir, Chairman, Landhi Association; Masroor Ahmed Alvi, Chairman, F.B. Area Association; Abdul Rasheed, Chairman, North Karachi Association; Mehtabuddin Chawla, Chairman, SITE Super Highway Association & Usman Ahmed, President, Bin Qasim Association.
They said that all co-operation extended on SSGC's request to all Chairmen of Industrial Town Associations to motivate their member Industries not to use gas and stop all their production on Sundays from 7.00am to Mondays 7.00am with a solemn promise that for the remaining week there would be absolutely no curtailment of gas supply by SSGC, which was seriously and dutifully complied with by all the industries in seven Town Associations, however, SSGC failed to keep its promise and gas supply was stopped to these industries for continuous three days in a week and further for the remaining three days gas supply with miserably low pressure was supplied as a result of which, production had been seriously hampered and declined by more than 50%. It is pertinent to state here, they said, that they had suffered and faced all these problems, despite the fact that in gas production, Sindh's share is 70% while Balochistan's share is 21% and the state of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa is 9%. They further clarified that serious misrepresentation in declaring the figures of consumption province-wise are visible. There figures were also presented in the Cabinet. They said we would like to clarify that the figure of 41% usage by Sindh in not the correct figure as 1115 mmcfd is available to SSGC and the Country's production which is 3800 mmcfd; it is a child job to calculate the percentage that 1115 mmcfd of 3800 mmcfd would be 29.34% and not 41% as discussed in the Cabinet meeting.
They asserted that under Article 158, the province producing gas has the first right. Now currently the distribution of gas in Sindh is most inequitable and unjustified because SSGC is supplying in Sindh, 25% less than allocated quota while SNGPL supply in Punjab is 15% less.
Isn't it a great irony and clear injustice that while we in Sindh are already receiving 25% less of the allocated quota and still we are compelled to close our Industries for four days. In the province of Punjab SNGPL distributed gas connections, right, left and centre exceeding all limits, while it is most unfortunate that the industries in Sindh are being punished and penalised.
Another disturbing and most unfortunate ground reality which has put the exporters in a great dilemma is the forthcoming most popular HEIMTEX FAIR 11 to 14 January 2012. The exporters say that the ongoing severe gas crisis will seriously affect and have a great impact in the booking of export orders and making firm commitments by them in the face of keen competition from neighbouring and other competing countries in this important event.
In view of the above, it is imperative that the Government should impose a ban on all such connections and the already inequitably distributed connections must be disconnected forthwith to resolve their issues. If the Government does not supply proper, adequate and full pressure gas to the Karachi Industries, these export-oriented industries with 50% of contribution in exports to Pakistan will be ruined, closed down and throw up huge number of male and female workers jobless creating a very grim scenario in Pakistan.-PR