Pakistan Hardware Merchants Association (PHMA) has strongly protested at the injudicious distribution of electricity and called for an equitable supply. "Punjab alone must not be made sole victim of power and gas shortage, rather it should be shared amongst all the federating units." The PHMA former Chairman and Director International Hardware Association Sardar Usman Ghani said it did not make any sense that electricity is available to the industry in some parts of the country while there is almost no electricity for Punjab.
He said that over 12 hours power load shedding have resulted in closure of numerous industrial units throughout the province rendering millions of workers jobless. He said that the government discriminatory attitude towards Punjab is forcing the businessmen to take to the streets. He said that the discrimination in supply of electricity and gas is not acceptable for the businessmen and called for early construction of big dams.
Ghani also advocated for promotion of solar energy technology in the country to overcome the electricity shortage and control oil import bill. He said that WAPDA has 10 hydle projects in the pipeline but none would be functional within next four years even if construction work is started right now. He pointed out that over 5000 MW short-fall is because of the circular debt and made it clear that Punjab has no contribution to it while some provinces have to pay up to Rs 54 billion on this account while AJK has also stopped payment whose share in circular debt has been increased to Rs 14 billion.