LAHORE, April 9: Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM) and Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA) have urged the federal government to ensure equal supply of electricity throughout the country as only Punjab has been the worst hit by its shortage.

At a meeting of the PAAPAM managing committee here on Tuesday, PAAPAM Chairman Munir Bana and Vice-Chairman Usman Malik said industrial productions had nosedived due to prolonged and unscheduled power cuts, as small industrial units located in Kot Lakhpat, Qauid-i-Azam, Kattar Bund Road, Sundar and other clusters along Multan Road had been without power for up to 20 hours. They said industrial units were on the verge of collapse but Lesco authorities were playing the role of silent spectator.

Mr Bana said acute electricity and gas shortage had not only crippled the trade and industry but also caused widespread unemployment and poverty. He said consumers of efficient distribution companies with lowest line losses and the highest recovery ratio were being treated unfairly.

Mr Malik said it was very unfortunate that loadshedding in Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Lahore was up to 20 hours while in Karachi it was not more than three hours. He said recovery of bills in Faisalabad was 99.8 per cent, Gujranwala 98.8 per cent, Lahore 98.1 per cent while in Hyderabad it was 59.1 per cent, Karachi 85.6 per cent, Peshawar 78.4 per cent and Quetta 41 per cent.

Punjab contributed nearly two thirds to the GDP of Pakistan, paid for 80 per cent of electricity bills and got only 60 per cent of electricity units, but was being made the worst victim of injustice.

PTEA: Pakistan Textile Exporters Association Chairman Asghar Ali and Vice-Chairman Muhammad Asif said in a joint statement that as a result of forced closure of dedicated electricity feeders and disconnection of industrial connections by Fesco, textile industry alone was suffering a financial loss of over Rs1 billion daily.

PTEA Chairman Asghar Ali said severe shortage of gas and electricity had plunged the textile exports into disaster and millers have left with no other option but to shut down their units.