LPG sells for up to Rs700 per kg amid shortage ahead of winter

Consumers are paying considerably more than the government-notified rate for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), with prices reaching Rs700 per kilogramme in parts of the country amid a supply shortage ahead of winter.

Supplies through the Taftan border remain suspended, adding to the shortage, according to reports.

While the official LPG price has been raised by Rs14 to Rs294 per kg, the commodity is being sold at much higher rates in several cities. In Quetta and other parts of Balochistan, retailers are charging between Rs530 and Rs700 per kg.

Prices in Karachi and Lahore range from Rs520 to Rs580 per kg, while LPG is selling for Rs600 to Rs650 per kg in Peshawar. Consumers in Lahore said some shops were charging Rs550 to Rs600 per kg and urged the government to ensure the availability of gas at the notified rate.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik linked fluctuations in oil and gas prices to uncertainty surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a university convocation in Lahore, he said Pakistan had managed the situation over the past six months and that petroleum prices were determined through a transparent mechanism.

He said gas supplies were arriving from Qatar and assured consumers that sufficient supplies would be available in December and January. The minister also said the government was providing subsidised petrol to low-income people.