MULTAN: Multan Industrial Estate's President Anis' A Sheikh has said that local industrialists and the industry of Southern Punjab are facing the shortage of natural gas as exceptionally low pressure of gas supply has crippled the industry in South Punjab. Such situation is unable to operate and keep over 0.2 million jobs intact.

He deplored the unilateral decision of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for unfair and inequitable disconnections of gas supply to industry. "SNGPL has not taken the industry stakeholders into confidence, and the gas supply on the SNGPL network was below 50 percent against contractual pressure and sometimes it reaches to the vicinity of zero percent. As per the prevailing schedule, the SNGPL is bound to provide five days a week uninterrupted gas supply to the industry in Punjab."

He said the uncertainty of gas availability not only causing operational losses but also at time mills pay the labourers without deploying them to work.

He urged the President, Prime Minister and concerned authorities to immediately intervene and save the industry from collapse, which is already bearing heavy losses due to circumstances beyond its control.