Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday formally inaugurated the supply of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) to domestic consumers, marking the end of a four-year ban on new gas connections imposed in 2021 amid the country’s acute gas shortage.
“Today, a longstanding public demand has been met,” the prime minister said while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad.
Sharif said that providing gas to domestic consumers had been a major challenge when his previous government came to power in 2022. “There was immense public pressure from all four provinces for new gas connections, but we simply did not have the gas to supply. Every consumer who applied had to be refused,” he recalled.
The prime minister said the government had not only issued instructions but also released funds to lay gas pipelines and develop the required infrastructure. “The infrastructure was built—but the gas was not available. Today, that day has finally come when new standard RLNG connections are being opened,” he added.
Sharif revealed that hundreds of thousands of applications for new gas connections have been received by Sui Northern and Sui Southern gas companies.
He also took credit for overcoming the severe load-shedding crisis of 20 hours a day that, he said, plagued the country back in 2013 when his party last came to power.
Last month, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik had announced that the federal cabinet had approved the resumption of new gas connections across Pakistan.
According to the minister, both Sui gas companies have already completed the procurement of meters and pipelines and would begin processing pending applications immediately after the issuance of the official notification.
Consumers who have already applied for gas connections will now have the option to switch to RLNG-based supply by paying a prescribed security fee to OGRA.
However, the minister clarified that RLNG would remain costlier than domestic natural gas, though still 30–35% cheaper than liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
“We already have a surplus of RLNG and adequate electricity, but the focus now is on improving governance and ensuring sustainability in the energy sector,” he said.
The resumption of RLNG-based gas connections marks a major policy shift aimed at improving energy access for households while reducing dependence on depleting indigenous gas reserves.
