Pakistan prepares for winter with gas load management and LNG imports

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to ensure uninterrupted gas imports and implement a comprehensive strategy for winter gas load management. During a high-level meeting, he emphasized prioritizing domestic consumers for local gas supply while allocating Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) for power generation and industrial use. A public awareness campaign will promote alternative energy sources to reduce pressure on domestic gas reserves, and measures are being taken to secure supplies from northern natural gas reserves.

The government is considering additional LNG purchases, including further cargoes from Qatar, to meet winter demand, with nine cargoes planned for December. The prime minister also administered oaths to four newly elected members of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Council, pledging federal support for development in education, healthcare, and other basic amenities. He condemned vandalism and external instigation against Pakistan and the Kashmiri people, noting recent elections in AJK.

Sharif praised the armed forces for eliminating Fitna al-Khwarij terrorists in North Waziristan and ordered a third-party audit of ongoing National Highways Authority (NHA) projects. He also met with ILO Director General Gilbert F. Houngbo to seek greater facilitation for international certification and professional training of Pakistani skilled workers.