FAISALABAD, Dec 15: Hundreds of dejected workers, industrialists and exporters associated with the textile sector held separate protest rallies and blocked various thoroughfares for several hours on Thursday in protest against four holidays of the gas supply to the industry.

About 500 industrial units of Faisalabad remained closed because of the four-day gas supply suspension schedule issued by the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited.

The protests were held in response to a call given by the “Industry Bachao Action Committee” comprising the Pakistan Textile Exporters Association (PTEA), the Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers and Exporters Association, All Pakistan Bed Sheet and Upholstery Manufacturers Association, Khurrianwala Industrial Estate, Millat Industrial Estate and All Pakistan Textile Processing Mills Association.

Carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans asking the government “to save the textile industry by providing the basic and essential production factor to industry”, the protesters chanted slogans against the federal government and denounced the unfair distribution of gas. Traffic remained suspended on the Millat Road and Sargodha Road and Khurrianwala for several hours.

Later, the protesters reached Khurrianwala where addressing the participants, PTEA chairman Rana Arif Tauseef said the textile sector had been employing millions of workers. But the shortage of gas had endangered millions of dollars worth export orders of textiles and put the workers jobs at a stake.

To sustain the industry and to provide employment to labour force of the country, gas should be provided to the textile industry, he added.

He said survival of the textile industry was in the greater national interest.

APTPMA chairman Mian Aftab Ahmad warned the government to reschedule the gas load management plan, otherwise a large number of industrial units would be shutdown and thousands of labour and their families would be deprived of their bread and butter.