Gas outages: Thousands of traders protest in Lahore

Demonstration to continue if issue not resolved.

LAHORE: Thousands of Punjab industrialists, traders, labour leaders and industrial workers on Tuesday blocked the GT Road to protest the suspension of gas supply to industrial units.

They warned the government that they would continue to stage such protests in all cities of the province, if the decision to suspend gas supply for three days in a week was not withdrawn immediately.

The protesters, carrying banners inscribed with slogans against the government and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines, demanded that the government revise its anti-industry and anti-people policies.

Addressing the protesters, industry leaders said that the problems of the business community were multiplying and they were unable to cope with day-to-day challenges.

Nobody would be able to pay the bank dues when his industrial unit would be on the verge of closure, they claimed. They said that the economic crisis would further deepen as the industry had failed to meet export orders, adding new orders were also not being received.

Lahore and Sheikhupura Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Pakistan Industrial and Traders Associations Front, All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association, Ferozepur Road Industrial Association, Hosiery Manufacturers Association, Lahore Township Industrial Association, Shahdara Industrial Asso-ciation and Kahna Kacha Industrial Association took part in the protest.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 24^th, 2010.