Factories warn of shutdown

KARACHI: The North Karachi Association of Trade and Industry (NKATI) has threatened to shut down all factories if gas supply was not restored, a statement said on Saturday.

NKATI President Faisal Moiz Khan expressed concern over the sudden disconnection of gas connections of factories located in the industrial area and said if the Sui Southern Gas Company(SSGC) did not restore the supply within 48 hours, all the factories would be closed down and the keys would be handed over to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The closure of industries will lead to a flood of unemployment and the entire responsibility will fall on SSGC, while it will also have a very negative impact on the overall economy of the country, he said.

Khan appealed PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah to take notice of the matter and play their role in restoring gas supply to industries as per the demand.

"Despite the 18th Amendment, Sindh is not getting its due right from the gas produced in the province, while the first right over Sindh’s natural resources belongs to the province,” he added.

With the cessation of production of products, imports would have to be relied on to meet the demand in the local markets, which was against the vision of the prime minister, he said.

Khan demanded immediate restoration of gas supply to the industrial area of North Karachi and urged the government to take steps in the best economic interest of the country and issue directives to the utility service providers to ensure uninterrupted services so that the wheel of the economy can run smoothly and create more employment opportunities.