LAHORE  - The SNGPL has announced to suspend gas supply to textile processing and dying mills in Punjab. All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA) Vice Chairman of Lahore/Gujranwala Region Khawaja Shahzad Nasir has condemned the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for gas supply suspension in contravention of clear direction from Prime Minister for gas supply to textile industry including processing mills. He said that gas supply suspension to dying and processing mills would have dire impact on industry’s productivity in case no gas was provided.
It would also disrupt supply chain to value added textile industry and render thousands of textile workers jobless. Neither benefit of Generalised System of Preferences plus facility from European Union nor booking of orders from Heimtextile exhibition were possible due to adverse situation, he added.
Prime Ministerial Committee on Textile Industry had made special instructions to SNGPL for continuous 100 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) gas supply to Punjab textile mills during winter.
Although, SNGPL supplied only 70-mmcfd of gas but the processing industry compromised with the situation in order to keep partial productivity and jobs of textile workers intact.
The mills were yet fighting for zero loadshedding of electricity to the mills in line with special instructions of Prime Minister when the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources has suddenly suspended gas supply to mills from Monday.
Khawaja Shahzad Nasir said worries of Lahore and Gujranwala processing mills were multiplying with every passing day due to supply suspension of electricity, gas and petrol.
He urged Prime Minister, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif and members of Prime Ministerial Committee on Textile Industry to direct the SNGPL for immediate restoration of 33 per cent gas supply quota to the processing mills.