Gas supply on low pressure by SNGPL and low-voltage power supply by NTDC have crippled the textile industry, resulting in production failures and machinery losses. Industry sources said that both the NTDC and SNGPL were doing so unannounced, which is an illegal activity and subject to punitive action against units responsible.
Interestingly, no senior of either utility was ready to acknowledge the existence of any such complaints. The textile industry had been vocal on unannounced outages of electricity and gas. The APTMA leadership has been approaching the president time and again, who is very supportive of industrial growth in the country.
Management of both the utility agencies, on the other hand, had been playing dubious role in following the President's instructions regarding uninterrupted supplies to the industry. On paper, the SNGPL was bound to ensure five days a week gas supply to textile industry and the NTDC to exempt it from power outages. But in fact, the SNGPL and the NTDC "are involved in low pressure supplies". The NTDC, APTMA said, had also withdrawn exemption to the industry.
This attitude of the both utilities towards the textile industry in Punjab had perturbed the textile millers at large. They spend more time in settling supply issues with SNGPL and NTDC than focusing on production and exports. "It is a general impression that the textile industry has suffered more in the hands of NTDC and SNGPL bureaucracy than the federal government. Especially, Dr Asim Hussain has been very proactive in facilitating the textile industry against Syed Naveed Qamar who preferred to snub the SNGPL and Pepco for depriving Sindh from all sorts of supplies."
Similarly, the textile industry has been appreciative of the government's pro-industry and ultimately pro-labourer approach. It was his strong commitment towards this industry that he withdrew Rana Farooq Saeed as Federal Textile Minister and appointed Makhdoom Shahabuddin in his place when Rana Farooq imposed quota on cotton exports.
However, the presidency seems to be unable to defeat the ill-intentions of SNGPL and NTDC bureaucracy, busy in arm-twisting the textile industry. According to industry circles, the local management's of SNGPL and NTDC were not ready to cooperate with the industry, adding that the field staff always preferred to cut deals with individuals for full pressure supplies after accepting bribes.