Khalid Iqbal Malik, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry has called upon the Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) to ensure uninterrupted power supply to the local industry as the massive unscheduled loadshedding was badly affecting production activities and creating difficulties in meeting the export orders. 

 

He said Prime Minister of Pakistan had assured uninterrupted power supply with no unscheduled loadshedding for the industry, but the recent moves of IESCO were in clear violation of PM assurances as for the last 8-10 days local industry was facing frequent power shutdowns. 

 

He said due to this situation, exported-oriented and food industries have reached almost on the verge of closure as it was not possible for them to continue manufacturing activities in an environment of frequent loadshedding. He said IESCO had assured to solve this problem within 48 hours, but still there was no relief for industry.

 

He said thousands of workers were employed in the local industry and a surge in load-shedding has rendered them idle for long hours. He was afraid that if power shutdown issue was not tackled on urgent basis, hundreds of works could lose jobs, eventually increasing unemployment and social instability.

 

He stressed that government should look into these issues for urgent remedial measures. He also appealed to the Prime Minister to intervene and direct IESCO for ensuring uninterrupted power supply to local industry in order to save it from further losses.