Govt Mulls Lifting Ban on Domestic Gas Connections

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik has revealed that the government is actively considering lifting the ban on domestic gas connections, calling it a critical nationwide issue.

In a recent media interaction, Malik said he would soon meet Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to deliberate further on the matter and emphasized that the unavailability of local gas could mean new domestic gas connections would rely on imported supplies.

He added that the topic had already been discussed with the premier and assured the public that any developments regarding the possible restoration of domestic gas connections will be communicated promptly.

Addressing another major concern, Malik shared that the government has intensified efforts to crack down on diesel smuggling nationwide. He noted that all trucks transporting diesel will soon be digitized, and the unloading points for these tankers will be integrated into an official tracking system.

To curb fuel theft and unauthorized sales, the minister also announced a national initiative to digitize all petrol pumps, stating that manual filling machines often contribute to illegal diesel trade.

Furthermore, Malik disclosed that power generation firms that had initially committed to importing six LNG cargoes are now withdrawing from those deals.