ISLAMABAD – Pakistanis may finally get new gas connections soon but at price that could burn a hole in their pockets. The government is preparing to lift 13-year ban, yet consumers will have to pay nearly four times more in connection fees and be billed at imported LNG rates, around Rs3,900 per mmBtu.
According to officials, Petroleum Division has sent summary to federal cabinet, proposing 120,000 new connections in the first phase. Applicants will not only face inflated charges of Rs40,000–50,000 per connection, but also gas priced almost at par with costly LPG.
More than 3.5 million applications are already in pipeline, but insiders reveal that only those who previously paid demand notices or urgent fees will be considered first, provided they sign affidavits pledging not to go to court.
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd (SNGPL) is already rationing gas, supplying households for just 6–9 hours a day. And yet, the government is pushing new connections despite a worsening energy crisis, massive losses, and mounting circular debt.
Over 3.25 million applications for new gas connections remain pending as moratorium on indigenous gas supply continues. Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited has 3 million requests on hold, while Sui Southern Gas Company faces 250,000.
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