The government should take measures on war footing to overcome acute gas and electricity crisis, or get ready to face unprecedented protest demonstrations by millions of industrial workers whose jobs are at stake due to discriminatory behaviour of the federal government, as far as provision of gas is concerned.
These views were expressed by a former senior vice president of Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Abdul Basit, in a statement on Wednesday. He said that the crisis of gas and electricity was getting severer with every passing day and denting credibility of the present regime to govern and manage things.
He said that serious law and order situation could emerge due to unemployment of millions of industrial workers from the industrial sector that is on the verge of collapse. He said that gas suspension to the Punjab industry and prolonged power outages would create serious consequences not only for the economy but also for the government as it was rapidly losing its reputation in the eyes of industrialists, traders, industrial workers and common man.
Abdul Basit said that the government has adopted a discriminatory policy for Punjab industry while reportedly Sindh industry was getting almost uninterrupted gas supply. He said that all industries including textile, steel, soap, chemical, poultry, and ghee were badly affected by the federal government move and the units were facing huge problem to maintain production cycles.
He said that discrimination in gas distribution was also harming inter-provincial harmony as only Punjab-based industries are facing gas suspension. He alleged that suspension of gas supplies to the industries in Punjab was a premeditated conspiracy against the province. He said that hundreds of industrial units have closed down their operations as gas was suspended while they do not have access to or cannot afford alternative energy sources. He said that thousands of industrialists and their workers took to the streets in various cities of Punjab to show their anger against the gas suspension and prolonged power outages. He said that what else government expects from the workers facing threat of losing their jobs?
Basit warned that that if the government did not end discrimination in gas supply and gas was not restored to the industry of Punjab to protect livelihoods of millions of industrial workers, they would, of course, get violent. About ongoing electricity crisis, he said that if India can establish 106 coal-fired power stations and can produce 60 percent of its total electricity from coal while Pakistan has so far failed to tap this mega resource available in the country. He said that future lies with coal and the government should utilise all its resources to generate electricity from coal.