Huge supply of LNG to be available for Pakistan by Nov 2014: Abbasi

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Monday said Pakistan would have huge supplies of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) available by November 2014 to help overcome shortage of gas in the country.

"The quantity of LNG would be more than gas reserves of Sui and Qadirpur", he said while talking to media.

Abbasi added that the present government was doing all out efforts to end the aggravating energy crisis facing Pakistan.

He said that the government was supplying gas to domestic consumers on priority and its prices were not increased for them.

He said that in Rawalpindi and Islamabad CNG stations were selling CNG to public transports for only three days a week following court orders, adding the government had submitted a review writ petition against decision of the Islamabad High Court.

The minister further said that gas theft worth Rs7 billion per year took a heavy toll on the system, adding government was taking strict measures to control it.

The minister said that on the special directives of the Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, the government was working to ensure gas supply to Quetta and other cities of Balochistan.

Abbasi said that people, who are facing problems regarding billing, should lodge complaints with the concerned offices.

The minister said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had signed many contracts to overcome the gas shortage.

Petroleum minister also revealed that eight new small gas reserves had been discovered during last three months.