The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Importers Association warned Sunday of a serious nationwide shortage of LPG within the next two to three days [1].
This warning signals a potential energy crisis for millions of households and businesses that rely on imported gas for heating and cooking. If supply chains collapse, the resulting scarcity could lead to price spikes and widespread fuel unavailability across Pakistan.
The association, led by Sheikh Mukarram Waheed, said the disruptions stem from a government-notified pricing framework that does not accurately reflect the actual landed cost of imported LPG [1]. Because the official price is lower than the cost to bring the gas into the country, importers have begun reducing or suspending their operations [1].
Waheed said the current situation is likely to cause "significant disruptions" [1]. He said he called for an emergency meeting of all relevant stakeholders to resolve the pricing discrepancy and establish a sustainable framework for the future [1].
Importers said to the government that the pricing mechanism must "accurately reflect the actual landed cost of imported LPG" to ensure a steady flow of fuel into the domestic market [1]. The association is seeking immediate intervention from Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik to prevent the projected shortage [1].
Without a revised pricing agreement, the LPGIAP suggests that the supply chain will remain unstable. The association maintains that importers cannot sustain losses caused by the gap between the government's fixed price and the global market cost of the fuel [1].
“significant disruptions”
The conflict highlights a systemic failure in Pakistan's energy pricing strategy, where government price controls clash with volatile global market rates. By decoupling the domestic price from the landed cost, the state risks alienating the private importers necessary for national energy security, potentially forcing the government to either subsidize the fuel or allow prices to rise to market levels.
