Prime Minister Imran Khan and his economic aides have been appealed to take back decisions to raise electricity tariff by 15 percent and close down captive power plants which would not only have a devastating impact on the export-oriented industries but would also terribly disturb the local production of general industries. Chairman Businessmen Group (BMG) & Former President Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) Zubair Motiwala, President KCCI Shariq Vohra and Chairman Pakistan Apparel Forum Muhammad Jawed Bilwani made this appeal in a statement on Saturday. Reacting to relevant news items carrying the government’s decisions to raise electricity tariff and shut down captive power plants by discontinuing gas supplies, they said that this was not the right time to impose such anti-business and anti-exports decisions as the exports, particularly the textile exports, have started picking up some pace and the exporters have booked substantial number of orders. “Such decisions terribly affect our image as the buyers sitting abroad become dubious that whether we will be able to fulfil our delivery commitment on time or not”, they added. They opined that the announcement by the government representatives was immature and technically out of place. Such a statement has just created anarchy and is against the national interest. The industries of Karachi are highly aggrieved and have conveyed their concern on the one-sided decision of the Government through its ECC of Cabinet, taken without consultation with the stakeholders. The industries have communicated to KCCI that their fundamental right guaranteed by the constitution must not be usurped and it is the industrial lawful right to get the gas for their captive power plants of to operate their industries. If the gas is discontinued one-sidedly, the industrialists reserve their legitimate right to invoke Article 199 of the constitution and approach the court of law to safeguard their lawful rights and legitimate businesses, as revealed during the Press Conference of Asad Umer, Tabish Gohar and others. The Government representatives in the Press briefing have announced for unwarranted supply of gas to K-Electric at the cost of destruction of industries of Karachi is highly condemnable and rejected. They said that the decision to suspend gas supply and enhance electricity tariff affects the performance of general industries which are an important part of the supply chain of export-oriented industries hence, the general industries in one way or the other participate in the export activities. Consequently, it will also have very devastating trickle down effect on the trading, wholesale and retail networks which will ultimately create a total chaos and uncertainty. They firmly believed that the electricity tariff hike and closure of captive power plants would tarnish the Government’s export friendly policies and put a deathblow on the exports, foreign exchange earnings and the most labour-intensive sector. “The government must realize that these decisions would only favour our competitors from India and Bangladesh who will take advantage of the situation by attempting to somehow get all the orders achieved by Pakistani exporters shifted to respective countries”, they added.