President Asif Ali Zardari has assured All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) leadership for restoration of gas supply to textile industry soon and appealed the textile industry workers through Punjab Governor Latif Khosa to disperse peacefully.
He talked to the APTMA leadership through telephone and assured them of resolving gas supply issue at the earliest.
The Punjab governor visited the SNGPL office site and joined the APTMA leadership and textile workers in sit-in for a while. Later on, addressing the protestors, the governor said Federal Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain, on the advice of President Zardari, would visit APTMA Punjab on January 6 to negotiate with textile industry leadership on gas supply on SNGPL network.
Earlier, a mammoth gathering of textile workers and industrialists at Manga Raiwind bypass protested against gas suspension to textile industry. The protestors blocked the Multan Road for hours, followed by a march towards the SNGPL head office in the centre of town.
Textile workers were fully charged and kept on raising slogans against the SNGPL throughout the protest. They also vowed not to let the SNGPL workers go out of head office until their demand for restoration of gas supply to industry is met with. They were holding banners, placards and Pakistani flags on the occasion.
It is for the first time in the industrial history of the country that the textile millers and workers had staged a sit-in at the SNGPL office for more than two hours. The SNGPL staff including the top management remained stuck up in the head office building throughout the sit-in. Textile workers held candle lights in their hands immediately after the sunset until the dispersing after an assurance from the Punjab governor.
The APTMA leadership including APTMA chairman Mohsin Aziz, APTMA Punjab chairman Ahsan Bashir, APTMA Group Leader Gohar Ejaz, Energy Committee Convener Shahzad Ali Khan and others addressed the participants.
