Aptma demands steady gas supply

KARACHI: All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) on Monday warned the government of closing industries in the Sindh-Balochistan Zone if gas supplies did not normalise on an urgent basis.

In a statement, Aptma Zonal Chairman Zahid Mazhar demanded the government to provide natural gas to the industries of Sindh without any interruption. “The gas of Sindh could be diverted to the other provinces only after meeting the requirements of the industries of Sindh,” he said.

He said the province of Sindh should not be deprived of their constitutional right in supply of natural gas under Article 158 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Sindh is producing about 67 percent of system gas produced in the country, and consuming much lesser than its production, even then the industries of Sindh were denied of their right guaranteed by the constitution.

“Industries in Sindh are again facing problem of low gas pressure as well as closure of gas supply resulting in heavy production losses and delaying of export shipments,” the zonal chairman said, adding that low pressure or closure were equivalent.