RECORDER REPORT

KARACHI: All Pakistan Textile Association (APTMA) has urged Prime Minister for intervention to save export-oriented textile industry of Sindh and Balochistan from total closure due to unavailability of gas.

Zahid Mazhar, Chairman APTMA Southern Zone has urged the Prime Minister Mian Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Minister of Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah for their intervention to save export-oriented textile industry of Sindh and Balochistan from the closure due to denial of gas from November 15, 2022 to February 28, 2023.

He said the export-oriented textile industries of Sindh and Balochistan, contributing more than 54 percent in total exports of Pakistan, have been served notices of gas closure without taking in confidence the real stakeholders in respect of gas closure for three and half months even though the two provinces are producing more than 80 percent of gas produced in the country.

He further said that due to extremely low gas pressure and frequently unavailability it was very difficult for the export-oriented textile industries located in Sindh and Hub Industrial Area to run the mills and fulfil their

export commitments well in time. He further said “the textile industry is an export-oriented industry running on 24/7 basis and almost all of our member mills are using natural gas as fuel for generation of electricity to meet their energy requirements and or to run their processing units.”

“Hence if they will be forced to consume only 50 percent of their load, they will not be able to run their mills smoothly and fulfil their export commitments on time resultantly they would lose their hard-earned foreign buyers while foreign exchange earned by the country through exports would also be curtailed,” he added.

Zahid Mazhar said APTMA member mills were very much disturbed after receipt of SSGCL’s notices of gas closure for three and half months.

He further said gas closure for export-oriented textile industry would be the last nail in the coffin of the economy of Pakistan and resultantly Pakistan would lead to default in payment of the foreign obligations and the currency rate would deteriorate further and reach a point of no return.

Chairman APTMA Southern Zone said the government should take appropriate measures to ensure gas supply to export-oriented industries, instead of complete gas outages, which would lead to a huge decline in exports and revenue, closure of industries, and layoffs.

APTMA urged the government and gas supply companies to provide gas to export-oriented industries including textile on priority basis to run their mills without any disruption so that they can fulfil their export commitments in time otherwise they would be compelled to shut down their mills resulting in massive decline in foreign exchange earnings and increase in unemployment.