LPG price in Karachi rises by Rs50 per kg to Rs550

The price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in Karachi has increased by another Rs50 per kilogramme, taking it to Rs550, as a supply shortage pushes up rates in the city’s markets.

According to reports, LPG prices rose again a day after a brief decline, with the commodity now being sold at nearly twice the official rate.

The reports said that Iranian LPG supplies were not reaching Karachi’s markets, allowing local marketing companies to take advantage of the shortage and raise prices arbitrarily.

They added that disruptions in LPG imports from Iran had led to a supply shortfall, forcing consumers to buy gas at higher rates. Shopkeepers said marketing companies were supplying them with LPG at elevated prices, affecting their businesses. Sales have declined by up to 50 per cent due to the price hike, they added.

Consumers said they had little choice but to purchase expensive LPG because of the lack of piped gas at their homes. They added that the increase was affecting household budgets and pushing up transport fares as well as the prices of bread from tandoors and bakery products, placing an additional burden on ordinary citizens.

Market sources warned that the situation could worsen if Iranian LPG supplies did not return to normal and the government failed to ensure effective price monitoring in the local market. With winter approaching, the risk of a further gas shortage and another increase in LPG prices in Karachi has also grown, they said.