'Gas crisis resulting in industries' closure'

Pakistan Industrial and Traders Association Front (PIAF) has held the government responsible for energy crisis and said the acute shortage of gas has brought economic activities to a grinding halt. PIAF chairman, Sohail Lashari in a statement on Monday regretted that the government is not working seriously to overcome the unprecedented energy crisis.
He said that it is not only the industrialists that are in deep trouble due to the three-day gas load-shedding in a week, but the industrial workers are also facing several problems as the sword of unemployment is hanging on their heads due to low industrial production. He said that government is publicising that gas shortage would become tall in the winter season that would freeze the production process in the country.
He said that textile sector plays a dominant role in the national economy while its 80 percent dependence is on gas. Due to the unavailability of gas, the textile sector would not be able to fulfil its export orders and would lose it buyers, which in turn would push unemployment graph up due to closure of textile units.
Lashari said that industries in Punjab are on the edge of destruction due to the unavailability of gas and the suspension is a premeditated conspiracy to demolish them. He said that gas shortage is not only pushing the industry to the wall but also wrecking the economy of the province. He lamented that the province is being treated unfairly with regard to the gas supply. He pointed out that around 40 percent industrial units here utilise gas as fuel and the suspension has pushed thousands of large and medium scale manufacturing units towards closure and left millions of industrial workers and daily wagers unemployed while the remaining industry is on the edge of closure.
PIAF chairman said that industrial activities are already on the halt due to mismanagement and unfriendly course of action of the present regime while the worst gas shortage throwing more fuel to the fire. He urged the government to accelerate work on Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Project and refuse any pressure to this regard. He also demanded the government to start construction Kalabagh Dam to generate cheap and sufficient electricity in the country.