Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on Tuesday assured the public that the government will make utmost efforts to protect gas supply in winter across Pakistan, covering both liquefied petroleum gas (LPG — bottled gas used for cooking and rickshaws) and piped domestic gas at mealtimes, while also signalling further fuel price relief.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Malik said winter demand will intensify in December and January. He linked the pledge to public distress after LPG flows through western border crossings were disrupted by the closure of Iranian routes, leaving many households and rickshaw drivers dependent on a tight open market.
LPG crunch after western border disruption
Malik said LPG supply has been hit because crossings on the western border have effectively dried up. Cylinders are being sold in the open market at about twice the official rate. He warned that some sellers are exploiting the shortage, with consumers offered LPG at Rs700–800 per kilogramme.
He put national LPG demand at roughly 2.4 million tonnes a year — about 6,500 to 7,000 tonnes a day. Local output is only around 2,000 to 2,500 tonnes a day, depending on crude feedstock and how much LPG refineries extract. Nearly half, or more than half, of demand previously arrived via the western border; the remainder comes from other sources. The minister said the country faces numerous challenges on LPG availability and that work is under way to design a support arrangement similar to the one announced for petrol.
Piped gas, LNG and mealtime supply
Beyond bottled gas, Malik stressed piped domestic supply for cooking hours. The government, he said, will make utmost efforts to keep gas flowing at mealtimes for homes on the network. LPG will still be needed for other uses and for people without piped connections.
On the network itself, he said that even if the most expensive fuel must be bought, the government will bring it in and try to meet demand through LNG (liquefied natural gas — gas shipped in liquid form and then fed into pipelines). That stance sits at the centre of the official message on gas supply in winter: meet household demand first, including at peak cold.
Fuel prices and the Rs14.71 petrol signal
Turning to liquid fuels, Malik recalled the latest price reduction and noted that the international market closed lower on Tuesday. “Even better news will come before us,” he said about the day’s petrol and diesel revision.
Under a newly announced arrangement, oil refineries will contribute to the petroleum levy by bearing a cumulative Rs15 billion impact for 30 days. Officials say that support would allow a Rs14.71 reduction in the petrol price paid by consumers. The minister indicated that a comparable approach for LPG is being examined so bottled-gas users are not left entirely to the open market.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Tuesday: Ali Pervaiz Malik briefs the press in Islamabad on winter gas, LPG shortages and fuel prices.
- Tuesday: He notes the international oil market closed lower and points to further news on petrol and diesel revision.
- Recent weeks: Iranian border closures disrupt western-border LPG inflows; open-market cylinder prices roughly double the official rate, with some quotes at Rs700–800 per kg.
- New 30-day plan: Refineries to bear Rs15 billion toward the petroleum levy, enabling a Rs14.71 consumer petrol cut.
- December–January: Winter demand expected at its peak, according to the minister.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sardi mein ghar ke gas aur LPG dono mushkil ho sakte hain, lekin wazir ne kaha hai ke mealtime par pipe gas rakhne ki koshish hogi. Iran border band hone se cylinder mehnga ho gaya hai, bazaar mein Rs700–800 kilo tak ki baat ho rahi hai. Agar zarurat pari to mehnga LNG bhi mangwaya ja sakta hai. Petrol mein Rs14.71 tak kami ka signal bhi diya gaya hai, jo rozmarra ke kharch par asar dal sakta hai.
