Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday announced the reopening of new gas connections for domestic consumers, ending a four-year moratorium that began in 2021 due to an acute gas shortage.
Speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) connections, the premier said the decision fulfilled a “longstanding public demand.”
Sharif recalled that providing gas to households had been a major challenge when his government came to power in 2022. “There was immense public pressure from all sides, but we were unable to accommodate new connections due to the supply crisis,” he said.
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He noted that while funds were previously allocated and pipelines laid, gas availability remained a bottleneck. “Today marks the beginning of new standard RLNG connections becoming operational,” he announced.
The prime minister said hundreds of thousands of applications for new connections have already been received. He also highlighted his government’s past efforts to address energy shortages, recalling that his party had ended “20-hour load-shedding” during its previous tenure.
Last month, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik confirmed that the federal cabinet had approved the resumption of new gas connections nationwide. Both Sui gas companies have completed procurement of meters and pipelines and will begin processing pending applications once the official notification is issued.
Applicants will have the option to switch to RLNG-based connections by depositing a security fee set by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA). Malik acknowledged that RLNG would remain costlier than natural gas but noted it would still be 30–35 percent cheaper than liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
“We have surplus RLNG and sufficient electricity, and now our focus is on improving governance and ensuring long-term sustainability in the energy sector,” he added.
