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Will save $22-50 million; a Qatari gas tanker is heading to Port Qasim.
BY Mahnoor | 12-05-2026
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL) turned down offers for two shipments of LNG because the prices were too high. This could mean people will have to pay an extra $22 million for just one shipment.
The Senate Petroleum Committee was told that a shipment of LNG should reach Karachi Port on Tuesday.
The Minister of Petroleum, Ali Pervaiz Malik, informed the committee that because there is no permanent ceasefire between the US and Iran, and due to import problems, the government had to focus on important industries first. He said gas was redirected to fertilizer factories to prevent a fertilizer shortage, especially since it was hard to import DAP fertilizer.
Pakistan could save $22 million to $50 million on two shipments of LNG because it got a better deal from Qatar.
The Senate’s Petroleum Committee discussed the country’s petroleum supply, gas for oil-producing regions, how to pick the PMDC board, LPG prices, and the CNG shutdown in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
The committee noticed that even though there was enough petroleum, the price went up last month, which seemed to help the oil companies make more money. But the oil minister said the price change was to give the oil companies some financial breathing room so they could keep fuel supplies steady when international oil prices change a lot.
The committee asked officials to do a full review of oil companies to see how much extra money they made from their current supplies after the price increase. They were told that a group including Ogra, FIA, the Intelligence Bureau, and others was set up to check supplies every two weeks. The committee leader ordered that all supply reports be sent to the Senate group.
The committee questioned how fuel prices are set, and the chairman asked for details about the pricing formula. Members were also very worried about long-lasting gas shortages in Balochistan and asked why the gas supply was inconsistent.
The committee was very concerned about increasing LPG prices and the big difference between official and actual prices. The chairman told Ogra and other authorities to crack down on overpricing and provide a full report.
The problem of not giving gas to people in areas where gas is produced was discussed. Members pointed out that even though the prime minister ordered it and the Supreme Court decided it, those communities still don’t have gas. Officials said the delay was because they didn’t have enough money. The committee decided to discuss this with the people involved.
The Senate committee observed that Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) charges different rates from coal mining contractors at different locations in Balochistan. The chairman inquired about the reason for this price difference, noting that PMDC and the contractors rely on each other. He stated he would communicate with everyone involved to solve the problem peacefully.
The committee discussed stopping CNG gas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. Members pointed out this hurts the province’s poor people. Officials said gas can only restart when imported LNG is available but the Strait of Hormuz is closed, which is blocking the LNG from coming.
The allocation of natural gas to power plants in Punjab that use imported LNG was also questioned, as similar benefits were not given to plants in other provinces, like the Jamshoro Power Plant. Members wanted to know how the allocation priorities were decided.
At the same time, another Qatari LNG ship, Mihzem (174,000 cubic meters), was passing through the Strait of Hormuz. It’s heading to Port Qasim, just days after the first shipment went through under a special deal between Iran and Pakistan. The ship left Ras Laffan and should get there around May 12, according to shipping information reported by Reuters.
