The federal government has decided not to increase gas prices further from January 1. Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervez Malik shared this update during a briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Petroleum on Tuesday. The Minister informed the committee that, following the Prime Minister’s directives, gas prices will not be raised from January 2026. Malik stated that the gas circular debt is no longer rising, though it currently stands at Rs 3 trillion, a figure that includes Late Payment Surcharges (LPS).

He also noted that Qatar has maintained its contract conditions despite the challenging global situation.  Regarding supply, the Minister mentioned a discrepancy in demand from the Power Division. While the division reports a daily demand of 800 million cubic feet, it typically only utilizes 400 million cubic feet. He suggested that the Minister for the Power Division could provide further clarity on that specific situation, adding that the government is working toward bringing the circular debt to zero while maintaining current gas rates. 

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)