ISLAMABAD: As the temperature goes down across the country, the Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik has announced good news for the gas consumers in Pakistan.
As per details, the federal minister directed Sui companies to ensure adequate gas pressure during meal times and strictly monitor supply during peak hours in the country.
He issued these directives while chairing a meeting in Islamabad today to review the overall gas supply situation across the country.
The federal minister stated that the government has taken all necessary steps to ensure that the public does not face hardships during the winter season. He reiterated that providing maximum relief to the public is the government’s top priority.
During the briefing, Sui Northern and Sui Southern officials informed the Minister that gas supply has improved significantly compared to last year, with a notable 26 percent increase in supply to domestic consumers.
The Managing Director of Sui Southern Gas Company informed that the duration of gas supply in Quetta has been extended by two additional hours to facilitate consumers in the colder regions.
Ali Pervaiz Malik stressed that it remains the companies’ primary responsibility to resolve every complaint promptly, especially those related to low gas pressure.
Officials briefed the meeting that the 1199 helpline and complaint management systems of gas companies are fully operational, and that special control rooms have been established for real-time monitoring and swift resolution of consumer issues. They said that special monitoring mechanisms are also in place to ensure immediate redressal of complaints.
New gas schedule for winter in Punjab and KP
In a seperate development, a new schedule was issued by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for gas consumers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for the winter months from December to February.
Gas will now be supplied intermittently in three daily time slots: from 5:30am to 8:30am, from 11:30am to 1:30pm, and from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
SNGPL also warned that gas is expensive and urged consumers to use it according to their needs.
Gas load-shedding has become a major political and social concern in recent years, with household supply repeatedly highlighted as a key issue.
Gas is supplied through pipelines to households, which receive 50 per cent of available supplies, followed by the fertiliser sector, independent power plants, and the industrial and CNG sectors.
On Friday, lawmakers raised concerns over unannounced electricity and gas load-shedding across the country as procedural disputes and protests delayed the proceedings of the upper house. The Senate session was convened under the chairmanship of Shahadat Awan.
Senator Manzoor Kakar slammed the government over persistent power and gas outages, asserting that while sufficient electricity and gas supplies were available, the government still failed to deliver relief to the masses.
He blamed the crisis on rampant electricity theft, lamenting that the cost of these losses was being passed onto the public. “Gas comes from Balochistan, yet the people of the province do not receive it. Travelling from Balochistan to Karachi or Islamabad costs Rs70-80 thousand in fares, which ordinary people cannot afford.”
Also read: Everything You Need to Know About Your Sui Gas Bill
