Report — 16 November 2021

Multan hunger-strike camp against inflation and energy prices; march threat if unmet

Summary

APPLA’s central leadership in Multan led a hunger-strike camp against inflation and surging electricity/fuel costs, warning of province-wide road blockades and a march on Islamabad if demands were ignored. The action emphasized the squeeze on owners who could neither pass costs downstream nor absorb them.

Focus of protest

Speakers highlighted the compounding effect of energy bills, raw-material costs, and financing charges, arguing that small power-loom firms had no cushion left. They pressed for immediate tariff recalibration for SME industrial connections and relief on arrears.

Implications for APPLA
  • Document factory-level cost stacks and arrears to underpin negotiations with utilities and finance authorities.
  • Pair protests with written proposals quantifying tariff relief vs job retention in weaving hubs.