Islamabad, December 27, 2021 (PPI-OT):Former President of Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt on Sunday said seventy percent of the country’s textile industry is located in Punjab that should be provided with natural gas to ensure smooth running.

Suspension of the gas supply to the textile industry will cause shutdowns which trigger unemployment and result in losses to the tune of billions of dollars, he said. The suspension of gas supply to the textile and clothing industry will dent the reputation of Pakistan’s export industry in the global market, he added.

Shahid Rasheed Butt said that Punjab’s textile industry has agreed to buy gas at nine dollars per unit instead of six and a half dollars, but it is not getting gas. The textile industry located in Punjab is ready to pay double the price of gas as compared to Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but it is still not being given gas which is surprising.

The absence of gas for the industry will result in a shutdown and growth of textile exports from last year will stop, he said, adding that the government’s target to increase exports to $30 billion will also fall into jeopardy because the textile sector would face heavy losses in the wake of disconnection of gas supply.

The bulk of textile mills are co-generation and use gas to produce electricity and even if they are provided additional electricity, the mills cannot generate steam and hot water from electricity. Gas supply is also important because the existing infrastructure of electricity lack the capacity to provide the required load to the textile and clothing industry, he observed.

For more information, contact:
Dr. Shahid Rasheed Butt
Consul General Ghana
Former President ICCI
Former Patron ICST
Tel: +92-333-5132199, +92-51-2822571