By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s two main gas utilities restricted household supply to three daily cooking windows starting Wednesday, rationing a shrinking fuel supply across Karachi, Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as imported liquefied natural gas runs short and winter demand climbs.
Sui Southern Gas Co., which serves Sindh and Balochistan, said the schedule took effect immediately and follows federal government directives. Homes will receive gas from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., noon to 2:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The company said it was “prioritising domestic consumers by ensuring supply during meal times,” and posted the timetable on its website and social media accounts. An SSGC spokesperson confirmed the details to Dawn.
The windows add up to eight hours a day, leaving households without scheduled supply for the other 16. Officials linked the restrictions to disruptions in global energy supplies caused by the war involving Iran.
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd., which serves Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, introduced the same three slots on Wednesday. The utility cited dwindling LNG availability and rising winter demand, which are putting further pressure on the national gas system. The government is giving domestic consumption priority over other sectors.
The announcement came after days of confusion in Karachi. A severe gas crisis gripped the city on Tuesday, and several conflicting schedules attributed to SSGC had circulated on social media since Monday. The utility did not issue a clear, consolidated statement until late Tuesday evening. SSGC customers have gone without round-the-clock supply for several years.
Karachi’s shortage has been building for months. Local media reported in March that Qatari LNG shipments had been suspended after Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, worsening outages in the city during Ramadan.
SNGPL has also cut supply to compressed natural gas stations to 35 million cubic feet a day from 50 million, and plans to suspend the sector entirely in the coming days. Cement producers have already switched to coal. Industrial users on the distribution network are receiving less gas.
Export-oriented and other industries connected directly to the transmission network are getting about 200 million cubic feet a day, though further reductions are possible. The power sector is receiving about 140 million cubic feet a day, and fertilizer plants about 53 million.
SSGC said the measures reflect its winter strategy of guaranteeing gas during household cooking hours, with consumer convenience a priority.
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