Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik on Tuesday assured the public that the government will make utmost efforts to meet the demand for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) during the winter months.
His remarks come as LPG supply has been disrupted due to the closure of Iranian border crossings, resulting in gas cylinders being sold at twice the official rate in the open market. LPG is widely used for rickshaws, but also for cooking and other purposes by those not on the piped gas network.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Malik said, “Seeing people’s distress and also knowing that from December and January, winter will be at its peak […] even if the most expensive fuel has to be purchased for the piped network, we will bring it in and try to meet demand through LNG (liquefied natural gas).”
The minister assured the public that the government will make “utmost efforts” to ensure piped supply of domestic gas for meal times. Besides this, LPG will be needed for other needs and by those without piped connections, he noted.
