ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): New LNG-based gas connections have been banned in the country amid supply pressure due to the US-Iran war.
The Ministry of Petroleum has banned the gas connections across the country after Pakistan’s gas crisis intensified due to the Iran-US conflict.
According to officials, the ban will apply to both domestic and commercial consumers, while connection process may resume after two weeks if the supply situation improves.
The ministry said action on applications for new connections would start again if the situation improves after two weeks.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for global energy shipments, and its closure has put pressure on Pakistan’s LNG supply situation. The gas crisis in the country has deepened as regional tensions continue to hit energy sector.
The federal government had lifted ban on new gas connections a few months earlier. New connections were being provided through RLNG instead of the older gas supply system.
According to sources, RLNG connections are almost four times more expensive than old gas connections.
Demand notices for gas connections
Before the previous ban, the demand notice for a domestic gas connection was Rs6,500. For RLNG connections, the demand notice had been increased to Rs23,500.
Consumers who had applied on an urgent basis were also issued an additional urgent demand notice of Rs25,000. As a result, each consumer had to pay around Rs50,000 for a new RLNG connection.
The higher cost had already made new gas connections more expensive for households and businesses as compared to older connections.
