Industry plunged into crisis.

KARACHI -- As the Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) claims that supply has been suspended to those units using gas for power generation, the industrialists said on Thursday that production has come to a standstill due to zero gas pressure in industries.

The Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) and industrial areas' associations stated that almost all industries in the city were closed due to zero gas pressure, thus bringing the production activities to a complete standstill besides terribly affecting export-oriented and general industries.

In a joint statement, KCCI along with Site Association (SAI), Korangi Association (KATI), F.B. Area Association (FBATI), North Karachi Association (NKATI), Site Superhighway Association (SSAI) and Bin Qasim Association (BQATI) appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Energy Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to take notice of the situation and look into the possibility of supplying RLNG to SSGC for domestic usage as being done in the case of SNGPL so that the gas crisis being suffered by the industries in Karachi could be averted.

'We will shortly announce the future plan of action if relief was not provided immediately which may even lead to triggering across the board protests,' they said.

A meeting was held between SSGCL and federally constituted committee comprising representatives of industries from Karachi which suggested to either close down gas supply to industries for two days a week or carry out gas load shedding for eight hours a day so that SSGCL could maintain its line pack and the industries receive gas for 16 hours a day at required pressure. However, this unfortunately, was not done and later on, without taking...