Traders announce shutterdown strike from 21st

LAHORE - The representatives of the all traders bodies in the country, during a convention held in city, have announced to observe shutter down from July 21 in protest against excessive loadshedding in the country.
All Pakistan Anjuman Tajarn said that shutter down strike would continue all over the Punjab until the uninterrupted power supply is ensured while the traders will continue daily protest and rallies across the province during the period.
In traders convention it was also decided that if the government will not stop loadshedding the strike will be taken to across the country.
They were of the view that unscheduled loadshedding is causing downsizing in the industrial units. Therefore the government should save them from losing their jobs.
They showed grave concern over unscheduled loadshedding and urged the government to take urgent measures to overcome the energy deficit as it is affecting the whole economy.
They said that if any untoward incident took place in the result of their shutter down strike the govt would be responsible for this.
A large number of traders attended the traders convention.
Haji Maqsood Butt said the traders patient had crossed its limits and now they would not tolerate anymore loadshedding. He cautioned the government to normalize the electricity supply till July 21 otherwise the situation would be out of control.
Mehboob Ali Sirki on the occasion said the daily 12 to 18 hours power outages had closed all the business in the country. In such scenario no industry can survive, he added.
General Secretary Abdul Razaq Buber said the scheduled of protest in all cities had prepared and it would continue till July 21.
Meanwhile, the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) has expressed strong concern over scarcity of gas and electricity for textile industry, causing huge production losses.
The APTMA spokesman said the industry was refused gas supply by the Sui Northern Gas Company Ltd (SNGPL) since July 1, 2009 in spite of a clear-cut priority announced by the government in federal budget 2009-10.
Similarly, said the APTMA spokesman, the exemption to the textile industry from load shedding was withdrawn by the Pakistan Electric Power Company (Pepco) since May 14 with no clue.
It is to be noted that the Lahore Electric Supply Company continued to carry out up to 14 hours unscheduled power shutdowns in City against its announcement of eight-hour load management programme.
Lesco officials confirmed that 7 to 8 hours laod management was announced but citizens form majority of areas complained that they were suffering the agony of up to 14 hours power cuts. They observed that Lesco was not fulfilling its commitment of observing maximum one-hour power cut rather three to four hours incessant power outages have become a routine matter in most of localities of the city.
Prolonged and non-stop power outages were reported from the areas like Sanda, Chungi Amar Saddhu, Shad Bagh, Queens Road, Mozang, Wahdat Colony, Ichhra, Township, Rehman Pura, Walled City, Bhati, Sanda, Mufti Road, Chohan Park, Saman Abad, Griffin Housing Scheme, Allama Iqbal Town and Johar Town.