Karachi industry warns of zero-export days

The city’s industrialists on Tuesday warned the caretaker government of intensifying protests from the second week of December if it doesn’t reduce gas prices. “If the government fails to pay attention to the business community’s demand, we will display protest banners all over the city and observe no-export day twice and even thrice a week,” Businessmen Group Vice Chairman Jawed Bilwani told reporters at a press conference along with Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) President Iftikhar Ahmed Sheikh and representatives of all seven industrial associations and the value-added textile sector. Mr Bilwani said a series of press conferences in all industrial zones displaying protest banners at the offices of trade associations would be held, besides no-export days once a week. The business community, he added, still awaits the promised winter package for incremental consumption of electricity wherein it was agreed to provide electricity at a reduced tariff of Rs20 per unit.