By SKM
December 18, 2025
ISLAMABAD: Escalating power disruptions and a prolonged 10-day transport shutdown have pushed the country’s export-oriented industry to seek immediate government intervention, warning that continued disruptions threaten production, exports, and financial stability across key industrial sectors.
The industry has urged the government to grant a two-month waiver of the off-the-grid levy on gas-based captive power plants for December and January, citing persistent grid instability caused by dense fog and system constraints that have resulted in erratic supply, sharp voltage fluctuations, and repeated outages.
In a letter dated December 17, 2025, the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) formally appealed to Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Ali Pervaiz Malik for temporary relief. The association said unreliable grid power has inflicted extensive damage to sensitive industrial machinery, forced partial shutdowns, and significantly increased operational costs, eroding the competitiveness of export-oriented units.
APTMA said a temporary waiver would allow industrial units to operate their gas-based captive power plants, ensuring a stable and quality power supply at a time when grid electricity remains unreliable. It cautioned that the power disruptions have coincided with widespread transport strikes, an uncertain business environment, and subdued domestic and international demand, further compounding pressures on exporters.
Beyond the power crisis, the industry has also sought regulatory relief to manage disruptions triggered by the transport shutdown. In a separate communication to FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, APTMA requested an extension of at least three weeks in the deadline for filing and paying sales tax, citing severe delays in the movement of goods and documentation between mills, clearing agents, and tax consultants—particularly from upcountry industrial hubs to port cities.
The association warned that many exporters are struggling to reconcile accounts and complete statutory documentation within existing timelines due to logistical paralysis.
Meanwhile, APTMA has also approached the Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, seeking a waiver of demurrage and detention charges on import and export containers stranded at ports and inland container depots. It said the 10-day transport strike has severely disrupted cargo movement nationwide, leaving hundreds of containers immobilised and exporters exposed to mounting penalties beyond their control.
In another letter to Federal Minister for Power Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, the association requested an extension of the December 2025 electricity bill payment deadline without late payment surcharge (LPS). APTMA said easing payment terms would provide much-needed breathing space to industries facing acute liquidity stress due to power outages and logistical bottlenecks.
The exporters cautioned that without swift and coordinated relief measures, continued disruptions could undermine export commitments, disrupt supply chains, and further weaken Pakistan’s already fragile export performance. Ends
