LPG shortage lifts retail prices to Rs700 per kg in Balochistan
Pakistan faces a severe LPG shortage ahead of winter, with retail prices reaching Rs700 per kg in parts of Balochistan. The official price is Rs294 per kg, but consumers say gas is not available at that rate.
- Retail LPG has reached Rs700 per kg in parts of Balochistan against an official Rs294.
- Supplies through the Taftan border remain suspended.
- Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik says ample supplies will continue in December and January.
Pakistan is facing a severe shortage of liquefied petroleum gas ahead of winter, and retail prices have climbed as high as Rs700 per kg in some parts of the country, according to Geo and Minute Mirror.
Geo reported that supplies through the Taftan border remain suspended, which has contributed to the shortage. According to a notification, the official LPG price was raised by Rs14 per kg to Rs294 per kg. Consumers said the gas was not available at the government-notified rate.
In Quetta and other parts of Balochistan, LPG was being sold for between Rs530 and Rs700 per kg. In Peshawar the price ranged from Rs600 to Rs650 per kg, while in Karachi and Lahore it ranged from Rs520 to Rs580 per kg. Consumers in Lahore said shops were charging Rs550 to Rs600 per kg despite the official price of Rs294, and they called on the government to bring prices down.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz had affected oil and gas prices. He said Pakistan had successfully navigated the situation over the past six months.
Malik said gas supplies were arriving from Qatar and that ample supplies would continue during December and January. He also said the government was providing subsidised petrol to low-income people.
Pakistan LPG Marketers Association Senior Vice President Ali Haider said a summary on the LPG pricing policy had been sent to the prime minister. He said the proposed policy would make LPG 25% to 30% more expensive and had been formulated without consulting stakeholders.
Haider called on the government to deregulate the LPG sector.
Why it matters
Households that rely on LPG, especially in Balochistan, are paying far above the official price as winter approaches. A proposed pricing policy could raise costs further, according to the marketers' association.
