Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and the other main trade bodies have announced to lock up their factories from January 7, 2012 as a protest against 20 hours daily forced load shedding of electricity and closure of gas supply to the export-oriented industries of Sialkot. Acting President of SCCI Zafar Iqbal Jaffary stated this while addressing a largely attended press conference at SCCI. He said Sialkot business community has strongly protested against the said forced load shedding, saying that this critical situation was now unbearable. Due to this export-oriented industries of Sialkot are on the verge of collapse, he added. He said the daily 18 to 20 hours forced load shedding of electricity had badly affected as many as 85 per cent industrial production in Sialkot factories, due to which industrial wheel has been jammed in Sialkot.
