ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Monday announced that gas prices will not be increased for the next six months on the special directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aimed at providing maximum relief to the public during the winter season.
Addressing a briefing, the minister said the government’s reforms had stabilised the gas sector and successfully halted the growth of circular debt, adding that no new debt was being generated. He said all consumers would benefit as gas prices would remain unchanged due to these corrective measures.
Ali Pervaiz Malik said Pakistan had successfully concluded an agreement to divert surplus LNG cargoes imported from Qatar to the international market, helping ease pressure on the domestic gas system. He added that the prime minister had instructed authorities to ensure maximum public relief during winter, resulting in improved gas supply to domestic consumers across the country.
The minister clarified that no local gas field had been shut down and said power plants were currently drawing gas beyond their committed IGCEP demand. He also highlighted improvements in system efficiency, stating that unaccounted-for gas losses in Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited had been reduced from 9% to below 5%, while losses in Sui Southern Gas Company had fallen from 17% to 10%.
Officials further briefed that an IoT-based monitoring system had been activated across the gas network, enabling Sui companies to receive immediate alerts in case of pressure drops. They added that gas supply hours for consumers had been extended from 5am to 10pm to ensure smoother availability during peak demand periods.
