FAISALABAD, Feb 28: Hundreds of textile workers and industrialists staged rallies and a three-hour long sit-in on Monday at the District Council Chowk in protest at falling gas and electricity supplies to the industry.

Protesters belonging to the Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA), All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association (APTPMA), Sizing Association and the Labour Qaumi Movement (LQM) threatened a long march on March 6 if the government did not improve supplies by March 5.

Protests erupted after five-day gas closure notification by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) on Saturday, which cites low gas production from gas fields in Sindh and Balochistan and higher demands from the domestic sector after a severe cold wave across the country in this winter. The gas supply remained suspended on the second consecutive day on Monday.

Protest rallies were held on Samundri Road, and Khurrianwala-Sargodha Road and traffic on all such roads remained suspended creating inconvenience for motorists.

Protestors carrying sticks and black flags inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands chanted full-throated slogans against the federal government.

Mobsters damaged two vehicles and some billboards on Sargodha Road.

A rally on Sargodha Road besieged the offices of the SNGPL and demanded fair distribution of gas supplies.

PHMEA Chairman Salamat Ali burnt his shirt in protest at what he says “unjustified” gas suspension. Banners inscribed with the name of the Pakistan Muslim League-N were also displayed at places at the District Council Chowk.

Protesters say the gas shortage cause retrenchment of hundreds of workers and that Sindh is getting non-stop gas supplies.

In January 2009, hundreds of violent workers protested power suspension for four days damaging a bank and two offices of the Faisalabad Electricity Supply Company in Gulistan Colony.

The textile sector could get 25 days gas supplies from December to February because of severe cold wave. The supplies remained suspended for 22 days in December, 23 January and 20 days in February hampering business activities of more than 500 industrial units of textile processing, printing, sizing, dyeing, hosieries, washing soap and chemical manufacturing plants.

More than one million labourers are directly and indirectly attached with the textile sector of Faisalabad fetching billions of rupees forex.

Rallies were addressed by Sheikh Saeed, Shabbir Ahmad, Aftab Ahmad, Salamat Ali and Mirza Shafiq Ahmad who said gas suspension was creating plethora of problems for them in Punjab.