ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Federal Minister for Petroleum Shahid Khaqan Abbasi hoped that the issue of gas shortage would be eliminated from the country by the end of 2017.
Talking to a private news channel, he said that government’s first priority has always been to provide gas for power generation and then to make domestic users self-sufficient.
He mentioned that government has not over looked the problems of All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) and textile industry will be provided as much gas as possible.
He said Federal Minster for Water and Power Khawaja Asif has also promised that textile industry would be provided 100% electricity.
“Government also wants that private sector should also purchase LNG because we have to solve the issue jointly”, he added.
He said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also promised to APTMA that it will be provided electricity without any interruption but APTMA should also promise regarding increasing their exports.
Minister said that it was PML-N government’s success to purchase LNG from Qatar; the price of LNG will be less than 6 dollars for consumers from the next month.
To a question, he said that the solution to energy crisis was to get extra amount of gas for domestic consumption and government has started the project.
He said that there were 7 million domestic gas connections in the country.
“I hope that by the next year, the situation will improve and at the end of 2017, textile industry will be provided gas round the clock,” he added.
To another question regarding TAPI gas pipeline and Pak-Iran gas pipeline projects, he said that work has been started on TAPI and after lifting ban on Iran, Pak-Iran gas pipeline will also be started.
He said Pakistan is the only country in the world where LNG is cheaper than pipelines gas.
