FAISALABAD, Jan 3: Industrialists have urged the government to help the textile sector with smooth supply of gas and power, reduced bank marks ups and the research and development (R&D) facility.

The plea was made by the vice-chairman of the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (North zone) Salamat Ali, president Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) Hamid Javed, chairman Sizing Industries Association Mirza Shafiq Ahmed, Mian Latif said at a press conference.

Mr Salamat said the government had accepted authoritarian demands of the International Monetary Fund only for $3 billion, but on the contrary the rulers were not paying heed to the genuine demands of the textile industry that had been fetching $12 billion annually.

He said the recent 18 per cent increase in gas rates would land the industry into a difficult situation, besides leaving millions of labourers jobless.

The FCCI president said the government should exclusively focus on the textile sector right away and resolve the long-running issues. He said the industrialists were demanding only a level-playing field to boost the economy and the mutual benefit of the industrialists and the workers.

Mr Javed demanded that the government should provide electricity and gas without any interruption. Mr Shafiq, said the industrialists had been making hue and cry for the last six months for the protection of the textile industry but nobody bothered to pay heed to our genuine issues.