APTMA delegation led by Group Leader APTMA Gohar Ejaz and central Chairman APTMA Ahsan Bashir along with central Vice Chairman APTMA Wisal Monnoo and other office bearers including Mahmood Ihsan, Yasin Siddik and Asif Inam called on President Asif Zardari at Bilawal House.
Federal Minister for Water & Power Ch Ahmed Mukhtar, Federal Advisor to Prime Minister on Petroleum & Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain and federal Secretaries of concerned ministries were also present on the occasion.
Chairman APTMA apprised the President about prevailing crisis in the Punjab-based textile industry due to short supply of energy. He told the President that 75% of the textile industry is Punjab-based and only for three days throughout December till date gas was available to the mills there.
Meanwhile, a complete shutdown of electricity supply from December 22 until 1st of January crippled the Punjab-based textile industry altogether, hitting hard to the employment, export and efficient contribution of textile industry to the national GDP.
The Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf intervened and directed the Ministry of Water & Power to restore electricity for 16 hours a day to the textile industry in Punjab. However, these clear-cut instructions were also not being implemented by the DISCOs and electricity was being provided not more than eight to 10 hours a day till date with frequent interruptions.
As a result, over 30% capacity of textile industry in Punjab is into doldrums, contributing to the economics of the daily wagers and hitting hard to the industry’s capacity of earning a billion dollar per month. President Asif Zardari appreciated the role of textile industry in the economic uplift of Pakistan. He said the textile industry is the prime segment of Pakistan economy and he would never let it down at any cost.
He assured the APTMA delegation of implementing the decision of 16 hours a day power supply to textile industry in Punjab in letter and spirit and instructed Secretary for Ministry of Water & Power Nargis Sethi and Dr Asim Hussain for immediate implementation of the decision.
The President further went ahead and assured the APTMA delegation of uninterrupted power supply for 24 hours a day from 1st of February and instructed the Ministry of Water & Power to make necessary arrangements to this effect.
Chairman APTMA Ahsan Bashir welcomed the President’s assurance of immediate restoration of power supply to the textile mills in Punjab as per the government’s commitment. He further expressed the hope that the mills would continue receiving electricity without interruption from now onward.
