LAHORE - The suspension of gas supply to industry on fifth consecutive day led to strong criticism and protest demonstrations against the government and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines on Monday. Industrial and traders associations, while expressing their grave concern over gas loadshedding, said that the industry had already faced about Rs 45 billion loss due to electricity loadshedding, while the gas curtailment was adding to their injuries. They termed the SNGPLs decision discriminatory and Punjab specific. They demanded the intervention of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in the matter. They stated that suspension of gas supply to industrial units was sheer injustice and affecting the production. All Pakistan Small Re-rolling Mills Association staged protest demonstration at Band Road and chanted slogans against the govt and SNGPL authorities. They burned the tyres at roads which caused traffic problems for hours. The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in a statement, urged the government to immediately stop discrimination in gas supply to Punjab industry as the suspension of gas supply had caused closure of over 1300 industrial units, rendering thousands of workers unemployed. The chamber expressed the fear that the industrial sector would destabilize and unemployment would further increase if the situation remains the same. Pakistan Industrial Associations Front (PIAF), SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, FPCCI, in various statements, termed gas suspension as conspiracy against the government and urged to withdraw gas suspension orders immediately. SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry and FPCCI urged the government to revise its priority list regarding supply of gas to the consumers. Meanwhile, General Manager SNGPL Rehan Nawaz, while talking to The Nation, said that the shortfall has reached at 550mmcfd from the total availability of 1950 mmcfd. He said that Article 158 authorized SNGPL to suspend gas to industry to meet the need of domestic users. He reiterated that gas suspension was not Punjab specific. He said the constitution allowed gas supply at priority basis to those provinces where the sufficient gas was available. The company stated that the gas supply to industrial unites from the Lahore circle was diverted to domestic consumers of tail end cities.