The News reported that the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry warned the government of massive protests if the 4 day gas closure decision was not reverted to three days a week with immediate effect for the industry in Punjab.

Mr Irfan Qaiser Sheikh President and Mr Kashif Younis Meher senior VP of of LCCI warned that this during a meeting with the representatives of various industrial associations which called on them at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The decision to launch protest was taken to save Punjab industry which is providing jobs to over 15 million people.

The LCCI office bearers said that “The government would have to reset its priorities regarding provision of gas otherwise the situation would go out of hands. The new gas load management plan is a well calculated and well thought out conspiracy against the present regime and the people sitting at the helm of affairs must understand the importance of the industry.”

They said that it is the responsibility of the government to ensure level playing field to the entire industry in Pakistan. The discrimination with the industry in Punjab is sheer injustice that calls for an intervention of the prime minister. It is not the industry only that would suffer massively but the government would also be an ultimate loser on many counts. The government to immediately shelve the proposed Industry closure plan to avert industrial closures and resultant massive layoffs.

The discriminatory attitude of the government is not only denting its goodwill and reputation but also put a question mark on its ability to manage and govern things. The units in Sindh are getting an almost uninterrupted gas supply except two to three hour load shedding.

(Sourced from www.thenews.com.pk)