Business Community of Southern Punjab strongly protested on 12 to 16 hours loadshedding and injudicious distribution of electricity and gas supply which caused unemployment of lakhs of industrial workers. President of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry Muhammad Khan Saddozai said that caretaker set-up should release funds for the purchase of furnace oil and should ensure smooth and regular supply of naturtal gas to thermal-power stations to meet the gap of 7,000 megawatt between the demand and supply.
He said that South Punjab industry is suffering at least 12 hours power load shedding and four-day gas suspension. Punjab alone should not be made sole victim of power and gas shortage, rather it should be shared amongst all the federating units, demanded Muhammad Khan Saddozai.
He maintained the textile industry in Southern Punjab has incurred huge production losses since disconnection of electricity and gas supply. Muhammad Khan Saddozai said that Multan and Southern Punjab are hubs of value-added Textile sector which was losing millions of rupees a day due to capacity closure.
The uncertainty level is on the rise and the industry is suffering badly due to its bad image on delivery of foreign orders. Mian Anis A Sheikh, President of Multan Industrial Estate management board, said industrial productions nose-dived due to prolonged and unscheduled power cuts and industrial units are on the verge of collapse in the zone, which is the major industrial area of Southern Punjab, but MEPCO is playing the role of silent spectator and paying no heed.