All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) demanded immediate withdrawal of increase in gas tariff from Punjab industries, 24News HD TV, reported Friday.

APTMA leaders said that U-turn is not a good thing in policymaking. If the decision to increase the tariff will not be reversed, the mills will be closed, they said.

The government will be responsible for unemployment and for not meeting the export targets after closing the mills due to gas tariffs, APTMA leaders added.

Talking to media persons at the APTMA office, Chairman APTMA Abdul Rahim Nasir and Chairman North Zone Hamid Zaman said that on the one hand government had promised in the budget that it would provide six dollars per unit of gas to the industries in Punjab for the whole year but now the price was increased without consent of them.

“We take exports to 30 billion dollars, we took orders and now instead of six dollars for Punjab, the government suddenly increased the tariff to nine dollars per unit without consultation, which is not acceptable” they declared.

Prime Minister should take notice of this issue, APTMA has rejected it, they added.

Senior Vice Chairman North Zone Kamran Arshad said that if the decision was not taken back immediately, the mills would be closed and the government would be responsible for unemployment.

APTMA leaders said that the government should rely on itself instead of International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Reporter: Junaid Riaz