LAHORE: Chairman All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) Shahzad Ali Khan has strongly protested against five days a week gas curtailment to textile industry by the SNGPL, as the industry would not be able to perform when it is already passing through six hours a day electricity loadshedding.

He said the industry was unable to understand the logic behind gas curtailment for five days a week when CNG pumps were on countrywide strike against price reduction.

According to him, the textile industry has faced gas curtailment for 56 days since July 2012 till date against 186 days of last fiscal year.

He expressed the fear that the industry might witness gas curtailment for more than last fiscal if the SNGPL continued with five days a week curtailment for next three months.

The APTMA Chairman deplored that not only the textile but both fertilizer and power industries were also denied uninterrupted gas supply, adding that all focus was on gas supply to CNG stations, already fleecing the consumers with both hands.

He also expressed wonders that there was a reduction of only nine percent so far as gas supply to CNG stations in the month of October 2012 was concerned.

He said textile industry would lose three billion dollars exports if gas curtailment continued for another three months.

Chairman APTMA Punjab stressed on political prudence as well as a will to take right decisions in the larger interest of national economy. He said the government was looking for IMF assistance to meet balance of payment commitments while losing three billion dollars foreign exchange by curtailing gas to textile industry.

He urged the President, Prime Minister, Minister for Textile Industry and Advisor to Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources to intervene immediately and direct the SNGPL to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to textile industry.