Punjab based textile mills once again facing power supply issue affect production. Minister for Water and Power Khawja Muhammad Asif being urged to provide uninterrupted power supply to the textile mills based in Punjab on independent feeders so as to avert negative impact on the textile supply chain due to sudden disruption of gas supply on the SNGPL network, by APTMA Punjab Chairman SM Tanveer.

According to Tanveer, the SNGPL has declared force majeure after sabotage activity near Rahim Yar Khan, due to which the gas supply to the Punjab-based industry has been suspended. But, the industry cannot sustain a shutdown due to energy supply constraints.

The APTMA chairman has urged the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources to speed up with the pipelines repair on emergent basis to save national production losses.

According to him, the Punjab-based textile industry in the wake of grant of GSP plus facility by the EU was assured by the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif an uninterrupted energy supply. Consequently, the industry became operational but present intrusion of gas supply due to the sabotage activity has caused hindrance to the textile industry at large.

The grant of GSP plus status to Pakistan by the European Union has opened up new opportunities for improving exports and any obstacle caused to the textile industry will have an effect on achieving the export target to reap full benefits of this facility.