Pakistan Hardware Merchants Association (PHA) has urged the Supreme Court of Pakistan to take suo moto notice of the ongoing energy crisis as daily over 12 hours load shedding has badly destroyed the economic fabric of the country. In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Central Chairman of Pakistan Hardware Merchants Association (PHA) Sardar Usman Ghani, Central Vice chairman Tariq Rasheed and Zonal Chairman Sheikh Ahmad Dawood said unannounced prolonged load shedding and repeated increases in power tariff killing the economic activities thus causing unrest among the business doing people. They suggested to the government to put off the decision to increase power tariff as both the industry and trade were passing through very critical times. They said that at the moment when the industrial production was at its lowest and the business community was facing difficulties in dealing with banks in respect of their outstanding dues, the increase in power tariff would crush them like anything. The PHA office-bearers said that due to long power outages only in textile sector as many as 40 to 50 per cent industrial units had already closed down their operations and if the situation remains the same many more would not be able to survive. They said that the government would have to reset its priorities to cope with this crisis like situation as not only masses but the business community was on the verge of losing the tempers that was not a good omen at all. They also demanded of the government to ensure early payments to the IPPs and PSO to overcome the ongoing electricity crisis that is deepening with every passing day.
