PESHAWAR – The federal government recently denied Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s request for a gas supply to local CNG stations, citing a national shortage. Furthermore, authorities have reinstated a countrywide ban on both domestic and commercial gas connections, effectively halting thousands of pending applications.
The regional energy crisis has intensified, leaving citizens and industries in a state of uncertainty.
Also Read: The Energy Paradox: Why Gas-Rich Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Faces Severe Shortages
A Growing Resource Gap
First, KP Finance Minister Muzammil Aslam initiated a telephonic contact with Federal Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik to address the CNG closure. However, the Petroleum Minister clarified that gas is currently scarce across the country.
Specifically, the federal government maintains that additional gas supply will only be considered after the successful import of LNG. As a result, Muzammil Aslam has briefed the Chief Minister on this refusal, noting that the suspension continues to cause severe public hardship.
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Connection Bans and Rising Costs
In addition, the government decided to suspend new gas connections just months after briefly lifting a previous ban. Notably, these new connections were being provided via expensive imported RLNG, making bills four times higher than standard gas. Moreover, the financial burden on consumers has surged due to the following changes:
- Increased Fees: Specifically, demand notice fees jumped from 6,500 PKR to 23,500 PKR.
- Priority Costs: Also, consumers seeking priority connections were charged an additional 25,000 PKR.
- Total Expense: Ultimately, a single RLNG connection cost citizens nearly 50,000 PKR before the suspension
Also Read: The Gas Siphon: How Federal Policy is Strangulating KP’s CNG Industry
Temporary Outlook
Finally, Senior General Manager of Sui Northern, Imran Yousaf, explained that connections are only temporarily blocked due to a halt in RLNG supply. Nevertheless, he assured that the installation process will resume immediately once the gas supply improves.
In conclusion, until imports stabilize, both the CNG sector and prospective consumers remain in a technical stalemate.
