Prolonged power outage was adversely hitting the industrial sector and trade activities of this export-oriented city and hub of cottage industry of the country resultantly the productivity and trading had become standstill.
Due to 18 to 20 hours load shedding in rural parts and 12-16 hours in urban are had created multifarious problems and people are confronting with awful problems day and night besides they are facing serious hardship in getting drinking water owing to non-functioning of tube-wells.
Apart from this the street crime graph increasing with every passing day due to prolonged load shedding, which was also posing threats of wide unemployment. It was observed that due to the price hike, increase in tariff of electricity and sui gas over and again the people had become mentally sick, which is not a healthy sign for the society and a big question for government. It was very unfortunate that concerned quarters are sleeping or reluctant to pay heed to resolve tedious issue of energy crises.
The majority of the people including children and women folk were confronting with mental unrest because of sleepless nights and their attitude had become very irritating besides the load shedding had also generating several social problems as well as unemployment in the area.
Sialkot is earning $1.5 billon dollars through its export annually and strengthening the national exchequer as well as providing employment opportunities thousands workers including women folk. Apart from this manufacturers as well as poor segment of the society were confronting with grim economic constrains but it was very unfortunate the concerned quarters were ignoring this highly sensitive issue.
The industrial sector of any country had always played an instrumental role not only earning foreign exchange for strengthening the economy but also providing job opportunities to the skilled, semi-skilled and educated persons. In this modern era, which is an epoch of economic war, most the countries were providing concessions and incentives to their industrial sectors just to keep the economic wheel in top gear but unlikely in Pakistan the picture was very bleak and totally against as compared to the other countries because everyday the imposition of taxes and increase in petroleum and electricity prices had become a permanent feature.
Foreign business is very important part of Pakistan's economy and Pakistan was doing business with many countries and its business practices had changed greatly over the years in order to attain best results. A nation should export more then its imports and by virtue of this philosophy the business depends a lot on finding more avenues. Under prevailing situation one can easily assess that the industrial sector of the country was moving ahead without any line of action because nobody especially exporters and manufacturers were exploiting their own resources and interactions for fetching foreign exchange for the country.
The production of exportable products is at lowest ebb and exporters and manufacturers were confronting with mental torture and financial constrains because they were failed in completing foreign orders in stipulated period. Furthermore the foreign buyers were reluctant new orders to the Pakistani exporters and manufacturers due to uncertain condition of electricity of Pakistan.
Most of the key buyers were considering shifting their businesses from Pakistan, which will be a serious blow to national economy and ultimately Pakistan will not lose its international credibility but also lose international market. Sialkot was known globally for producing value-added and standard products but the government has failed in taking remedial measures for protecting the industry from load shedding. In order to avoid crippling of industrial sector there is an immediate need of providing inexpensive electricity to the industry as well as to minimise the growing miseries of the poor segment of the society.
Despite of long load shedding Wapda was receiving full electricity charges from the consumers, which is an unjust. The unscheduled long load shedding was also affecting the small businessmen and persons working on daily wages besides hospitals, clinics, tailoring shops and many other sectors were directly under the clutches of electricity load shedding and patients, customers and general public was facing hardships.