Sialkot facing 18-hour unscheduled loadshedding: SCCI

The President of Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Ghulam Mustafa, in a press statement has expressed great concern over the unscheduled load shedding of 15 to 18 hours in Sialkot. He said that closure of industrial feeders for 15 to 18 hours has crippled the industrial activity, and the export industry of Sialkot is on the verge of collapse.
He emphasised that the export industry of Sialkot produces against orders, and delay results in cancellation of orders. He said: "We have time and again appealed that authorities must realise the special status of Sialkot industry and extend favour and co-operation so that hard earned foreign orders are not disturbed. But no one pays heed." He said that no option has been left for the public and the industry but to protest against the forced load shedding.
He expressed deep concern about the woes of Sialkot industry due to acute power crisis and said that concerned authorities have been repeatedly requested to provide a 200 MW power to Sialkot keeping in view its exclusive status of being the only export industrial city of Pakistan. "Damage to exports would cause irreparable harm to the economy," the President of Sialkot Chamber said.
He demanded of the concerned authorities to work on war footing to put an end to the massive power outages, as its criminal negligence is adding fuel to the fire besides mounting annoyance in the public. He demanded that Pepco authorities should adhere to the circulated schedule. Any further delay in improving the situation, which is going from bad to worse with every passing day, would result in collapse of the industry to end up in massive unemployment, which may create immense social problems and violent protests.
He pleaded that the President and Prime Minister should intervene and instruct Pepco authorities to refrain from unscheduled load shedding in Sialkot and that power cuts from Islamabad should be stopped forthwith otherwise people would have no option left but to come on streets, which must be avoided at all costs.