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In statement, ministry says news reports about thrice a day schedule of gas supplies for domestic consumers are misleading
The Ministry of Energy on Sunday rubbished reports that the government has finalized a schedule to supply gas thrice a day to domestic consumers from next month, stressing that no such decision has been taken thus far.
In a clarification statement responding to media reports, it said: “Various news channels are reporting misleading news that domestic consumers will only be provided gas thrice a day. The Ministry of Energy has made no such decision.”
According to the earlier reports, domestic consumers in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa would have any access to gas only thrice a day: 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. They claimed that the schedule would go into effect from Dec. 1 and would continue until February, when the country’s looming gas shortage is supposed to subside.
In its clarification, the Energy Ministry acknowledged that Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), which supplies gas to Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, had been instructed to ensure gas to domestic consumers during meal times. Meanwhile, in its own clarification, SNGPL said that it had not yet issued any schedule regarding gas outages.
Reports of a possible schedule for domestic gas outages during this winter have been circulating since Friday when Energy Minister Hammad Azhar informed the Senate that the government was considering a plan to ensure gas for domestic consumers “during meal times.” He claimed this development would prove shortlived, stressing that Pakistan would soon ink a gas deal with Russia and finish repairing damaged gas pipelines.