KARACHI:Pasban Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman Altaf Shakoor here Wednesday demanded to resolve the issues of Karachi-based steel industry on priority.

He said the industry is suffering a lot due to pending Nepra Tribunal decision on the application of K-Electric that has challenged the extension of incremental consumption package for industrial consumers, according to a statement issued by PDP.

He regretted that the whole country is benefiting from incremental consumption package except the Karachi-based industries. The Nepra Tribunal is one of the main factors causing this delay, as the case has been pending in the Nepra Appellate Tribunal for a year without much progress. The tribunal needs to expedite and resolve this case.

Quoting media reports, he said the Tribunal appears to be an inadequate department that is discouraging Karachi-based industries from remaining functional, potentially leading to the closure of all industries if this issue is not resolved.

He said discrimination against Karachi based industries in the implementation of the Incremental Units Consumption Package sends a disheartening message. It raises questions about equity, justice, and the government’s commitment to supporting industries across the country. Such actions undermine the trust of businesses and hinder their ability to thrive.

Altaf Shakoor said it seems that some hidden hands want to rollback industrialization in the megacity Karachi to deal a fatal blow to the national economy. He said Karachi is the revenue engine of Pakistan and conspiracies against it are not acceptable. He asked the concerned quarters to take notice of the matter and provide urgent relief to the suffering Karachi based steel industry.