KARACHI: The industrialists of metropolis have come hard over the persisting issue of continuous gas load-shedding to the industrial units of Karachi.
In a recent move, the presidents of seven industrialist units including SITE, BQATI, NKATI, KATI, SITE Superhighway, APTMAA and Sindh-Balochistan held a joint press conference at SITE office.
During the press conference, the presidents of industrialist associations under the leadership of Chairman SITE Jawed Bilwani have demanded of the government to allocate entire quota of gas produced by the Sindh province to the industrial units of Karachi, otherwise they would shut down the industrial units and take into streets for record their protest against the continuous gas load-shedding in industrial zones.
The presidents of seven industrial associations including Rashid Ahmed of KATI, Jawed Ghauri of BQATI, Abdur Rasheed Fodder of NKATI, Nisar Ahmed of SITE Superhighway, Siraj Kassim Teli-Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG), Chairman APTTMA Yaseen Siddiqui, Chairman Sindh-Balochistan Tariq Saud, former President SITE Zubair Motiwala and provincial minister for industries Muhammad Ali Malkani were present on the occasion.
The industrialists were of the view that the unannounced load-shedding to the industrial units of Karachi should be eliminated immediately for saving the economy of the country.
Addressing the press conference, provincial minister for Industries Muhammad Ali Malkani said that the Sindh province is producing excessive quantity of gas, however; it is being deprived of its allocated quota of gas supply.
Minister vowed that the provincial government would fight its case on democratic and legal grounds and presents its case before federal government in this regard and will also raise its concerns regarding the gas shortage in ECC.
BMG Chairman Siraj Kassim Teli said that the Sindh government is also keep mum over the burning issue despite the fact that the Karachi is earning 70 percent of the total revenue of country.
Chairman SITE Jawed Bilwani said that the government should make efforts to overcome the issue of gas load-shedding and provide due right to the industrial zones of Karachi.
He said that the economy of the country is being badly suffered by ongoing gas load-shedding.
The Chairman KATI Rashid Siddiqui said that the government despite several intimations by the industrial zones is not taking the matter of gas load shedding seriously which seems that the government wants to damage the economic activities by depriving the economical hub from gas supply.
Abdur Rasheed Fodder said that the lack of planning is being observed in government policies as it is not taking stakeholders into confidence before taking economic related decisions.
Javed Ghauri said that the government is treating the Karachi industrialists as “step mother” and deprived the industrial units from the basic facilities including electricity, gas and water supply.
Nisar Ahmed said that the PPP-led provincial government should play its role in resolving the matter; otherwise industrialists have no option except to transfer the business to foreign countries.
Zubair Motiwala said that 1250 mmgd is a daily quota of gas to Sindh province while gas load-shedding is on the rise in the province; adding that the gas quota of Sindh province is being provided to Punjab ti run its industrial zones.
