Textile millers to start protest drive

APTMA says they did not receive any gas for 20 days in December.

LAHORE: Taking cue from the compressed natural gas (CNG) dealers, the textile millers will launch a series of protests from today (Wednesday) against suspension of gas supply for a whole month.

Speaking at a press conference here on Tuesday, All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) Chairman Ahsan Bashir said though the millers tried to cooperate with the government, the industry was not provided gas for 20 days in December. “Now Sui Northern Gas Pipelines has said the industry will have to wait for at least a month (January) for gas,” he said.

Former Aptma chairman Gohar Ijaz said the textile sector required only 350 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd), which could easily be provided through import of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The project would cost only $200 million and would easily overcome the gas shortage which stood at only 1,000 mmcfd, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 4^th, 2012.