SIALKOT: Mr. Fazal Jilani, president of the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and industry, in a press statement, has expressed great concern on the forced load shedding of 15 to 18 hours in Sialkot. He said that sudden bout of massive load shedding is unimaginable and that closure of industrial feeders for 15 to 18 hours has crippled the industrial and business activity. The export industry of Sialkot is on the verge of collapse that produces against orders and delay results in cancellation of orders.
Mr. Fazal Jilani said that we have time and again appealed to the authorities to realize the special status of Sialkot industry and give it maximum relief enabling it to fulfill its foreign trade commitments. Perhaps, there is an anti-state lobby that is hell bent to destabilize the country through weakening of its economy. The government must keep close vigil on these elements to crush their evil designs. The government must take measures on war footing to restore electricity as the public and the industry being short of breathing space and overtly disturbed due to the crisis and have no option left but to protest against the load shedding.
He said that cottage industrial city Sialkot needs a meager 150 MW power, which could be conveniently met with better management but the city is battered with massive load shedding to close down production of exportable goods.
He said that any delay to improve the situation would result in collapse of the industry to end up in massive unemployment, which may create immense social problems and uncontrolled protests. He appealed to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Water & Power to intervene and instruct the concerned authorities to forthwith stop unscheduled load shedding and power cuts, otherwise the business community and the general public would have no option left but to come on streets, which must be avoided at all costs. Sialkot being a foreign exchange earning and revenue generating city deserves better treatment maintained Mr. Fazal Jilani.
