SWABI, Feb 24: Gadoon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) president Fazal Amin and members of the Gadoon Textile Association (GTA) have said that expulsion was looming large over thousands of employees of 10 textile mills of the Gadoon Amazai Industrial Estate if the electricity and gas crises linger on.

Addressing a joint press conference here on Sunday they said that the crises had put the survival of various units, especially the textile mills, at stake. They feared that if these units could not meet the market demand then their survival might be difficult.

“The Gadoon entrepreneurs are being faced with the energy crisis and their future is linked to the government initiative to pull them out of the current power crises,” said Mr Amin.

“Along with the location disadvantage the power and gas shortage increases their cost of production to the great extent and one shift had already been closed and there is no production for many hours. The workers could not be laid off and their salary bill is accruing.”

Mr Amin said that the international market was very sensitive and now the international buyers preferred to book their orders from India and China instead of Pakistan keeping in view that ‘we might not be able to execute their orders on time”.

Waqar Ahmad Khan, GTA head, said that it was beyond their capacity to continue production due to serious power crisis and other related problems. “Keeping in view the high production cost it is now impossible to continue the business any further,” he added.