Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that the government was doing long-term planning to overcome gas shortage.
Talking to a news channel on Wednesday, the minister said unfortunately, the issue remained neglected during the previous governments but the present government after coming to power started taking steps to meet the energy requirements.
He said as a short-term measure, the government plans to import LNG to meet the gas demand. He said the import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) would help overcome the energy crisis.
The minister further said that work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project had been started which would be completed in four years. “Turkmenistan has vast reserves of natural gas and this project will enable Pakistan to fulfill its gas requirements.”
To a question about increasing gas price on the eve of New Year, the minister said there was no such plan under consideration.
To another question, he said that on the instructions of the prime minister, 24 sites had been selected at the district headquarters for supply of LPG air mix gas to overcome shortage of gas supply.
He said the Sui Southern Gas Company was also spending Rs 75 million to improve gas supply in Quetta city.
