Aptma vows to defy four-day gas curtailment

All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has decided to protest against the SNGPL if gas supply is curtailed for four days in Punjab. "We will be on the roads if they closed for four days," said the fiery Aptma group leader Gohar Ejaz in a press conference on Monday.
Earlier, said Chairman Aptma Punjab, Ahsan Bashir the Executive Committee has authorised its leadership to decide about strike in case the SNGPL curtails gas for more than three days a week, as promised by the government. Ahsan said Extraordinary General Meeting of Aptma Punjab has lamented over dishonouring the agreement of four days a week gas-supply by SNGPL. He termed it as unfair for the textile industry in Punjab. Therefore, he said, the Aptma members have decided to take every possible step if curtailment continues for more than three days. He said all the textile associations besides those from the Faisalabad are on the same page. "We will bring 10 million workers on road," he warned, adding: "Farmers would be directly affected by the crisis like situation."
He said it is irony that the SNGPL has shown curtailment of three days on its web-site but 70 percent of industry has been out of gas on Sunday. According to him, all the alternate sources are unviable. He said the WAPDA has no power to accommodate industry. Ahsan said Aptma members would take decision about strike on Thursday. He said the negotiations between the Aptma and SNGPL succeeded Sunday night and MD SNGPL assured of supply. "But all in vein as they have lowered pressure deliberately," he said, adding that very few feeders are on full throttle.
Gohar Ejaz, the group leader Aptma, talked sense and said the industry has a strong feeling that it has failed to highlight the importance of industry to the government, procuring 13.5 million bales, employing 15 million workers and contributing $14 billion to the exports of the country. He said some six million cotton bales are yet with farmers with a total value of Rs 400 billion. He said a denial of gas supply to the Captive Power Plants (CPPs) of industry has crippled industry's wheel altogether.
"We're fighting for gas instead of running mills," he deplored the faulty decision making of the government. He said the system of gas rationing is not the solution in a situation when cheap price has become the real catch for stakeholders. It is high time for a revision, he said.
Gohar further criticised the government for providing free gas to the fertiliser sector. He said addition of 600 MMCFD LNG was the solution but no work on this front has so far been done. Speaking like a statesman, Gohar said the government would never be able to provide bread, cloth and shelter (Roti, kapra aur Makan) by closing down the industry. Also, he challenged the Constitution by criticising government policy of segregating between national industry and the industry from the province of Punjab.