Islamabad, September 10, 2025: The federal government has lifted the four-year ban on new domestic gas connections, announcing that households will now be provided with re-gasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) connections instead of local gas.
The decision was taken by the federal cabinet on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said at a press conference on Wednesday, flanked by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.
Malik said the ban, imposed in 2021, had forced residents of new housing societies and apartments to rely on LPG cylinders and other fuels. “There’s the pain of getting cylinders filled from the market, then the risk of substandard equipment which often causes accidents. Sometimes even pipes leak,” he noted.
He said the two gas utilities had completed technical prerequisites and would begin processing pending applications once the cabinet’s decision was formally notified. While acknowledging that RLNG was costlier than local gas, Malik said it remained 30–35% cheaper than LPG.
Applicants already on the waiting list would be asked to convert to RLNG by paying the required fee and installing new connections. Billing, he added, would continue under the existing monthly system.
“RLNG is not cheap,” Malik admitted, “but we are working to boost domestic gas exploration so that cheaper supplies can be made available in the future.”
