Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices have surged to a record Rs600 per kilogram in hilly areas, while consumers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are paying Rs500 per kilogram, LPG Distributors Association Chairman Irfan Khokhar said.
Khokhar said the sharp increase had added to the financial burden on households already struggling with rising living costs.
He said a domestic LPG cylinder was selling for Rs7,200 in hilly areas, while consumers in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were paying around Rs6,000 per cylinder.
These market prices are substantially higher than the rates officially notified by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) for October.
According to Khokhar, OGRA has set the LPG price at Rs279 per kilogram for the month, with a domestic cylinder priced at Rs3,350.
He urged the government to take immediate action to curb the surge and provide relief to consumers facing escalating fuel expenses.
Proposing measures to stabilise the market, Khokhar called on the government to utilise the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) terminal to help regulate LPG prices. He also stressed the need for immediate imports to improve supply and bring down rates.
The association chairman warned that urgent government intervention was necessary to address the widening gap between official and market prices, saying consumers should not be forced to pay significantly more than the rates set by the regulator.