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LNG shortages hit Pakistan badly

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Kiani, K. (2026, September 18). LNG shortages hit Pakistan badly. Dawn. https://www.dawn.com/news/2030754/lng-shortages-hit-pakistan-badly

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Dawn · collected 2026-09-18 · by Khaleeq Kiani

Quick Summary

Pakistan faces severe disruptions in its liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with Qatar and the UAE providing nearly all of Pakistan’s LNG needs. The Gastech Conferences report highlights that beyond immediate challenges, policymakers are considering strategies like increased investment in renewables and coal to secure energy supplies long-term. At a recent conference, Pakistan's Universal Gas Distribution Company CEO discussed potential projects for gas storage and long-term LNG contracts with international firms.
Written by AI on 2026-09-18, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Pakistan is severely affected by the shortage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with Qatar and the UAE supplying nearly 99% of its LNG needs. According to a report from the Gastech Conferences in Bangkok, Pakistan relies on LNG for about 30% of its total gas supply, primarily used for power generation, fertilizer production, and industrial purposes. The report suggests that Pakistan could mitigate future energy disruptions by focusing more on renewable sources like solar and wind power, along with coal, to ensure long-term energy security. Additionally, the Universal Gas Distribution Company (UGDC) in Pakistan is exploring potential projects, including gas storage and securing long-term LNG supplies, to address these immediate challenges.

Written for “LNG Shortages Pakistan” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 LNG Shortages Pakistan
Economy/Business · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 27% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans left Hedges 4 of 72 claims Outlet record 60/100
“While both articles discuss the impact of disruptions in LNG and other energy supplies due to conflicts involving the Strait of Hormuz, they describe different aspects and impacts on South Asian countries.”
South China Morning Post
Hedges 1 of 3 claims Outlet record 63/100
“The articles discuss related energy disruptions in Asia due to closures in the Strait of Hormuz, but they describe different aspects and impacts: one focuses on Pakistan's LNG shortage, while the other discusses Saudi Arabia's oil pipeline closure affecting Asian economies.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
15
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
27%
4 of 15 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
72/100
Dawn's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Economy/Business
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-18 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Dawn · 2571 article(s) · 3 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 3 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Khaleeq Kiani
39 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Project would charge $4.93 per mmBtu for terminal and storage, $1.91 for transmission over first decade ISLAMABAD:
2026-11-02 · assertive framing · US-backed consortium proposes $4.4bn LNG project
🔮 Stakeholders said SOEs had limited LPG import experience and warned that the proposed levy on locally produced LPG would push prices higher, calling for a greater private-sector role.
🔮 This is expected to have a significant impact on fuel cost for power generation in December.
2026-10-30 · assertive framing · Ogra notifies 15.3pc increase in RLNG price for October
🔮 “The petroleum minister highlighted that strategic oil storage facilities in Pakistan would provide Saudi Arabia with greater flexibility in managing supply routes and accessing regional markets,” it added.
🔮 This would make it possible to assess whether the expected administrative benefits justify the additional recurring burden,” it said.
2026-10-30 · assertive framing · New provinces to carry heavy cost
🔮 Industrial representatives Amir Shaikh, Arif Bilwani, Tanveer Bari and Rehan Javed, representing various chambers of commerce and industry, said the government was charging substantial petroleum levies — about Rs76,000 per tonne on furnace oil and Rs80 per litre on diesel — which could otherwise be reduced to lower generation costs amid the energy crisis arising from the Iran conflict.
🔮 DAAB would monitor project implementation and help prevent or resolve disputes as they arise, while CAP proposed applying the mechanism to projects valued at Rs20bn and above.
🔮 “The project will continue to focus on timely implementation, effective contract management, and compliance with applicable environmental and social requirements.”
🔮 The NEC also approved the inclusion of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA) in Schedule IV of the AMLA, meaning that the crypto body would also have regulatory powers over virtual and digital assets to meet AML-CFT requirements, like the SBP, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and Federal Board of Revenue, among others.
🔮 Mohammad Ali Haider, vice chairman of the LPG Marketing Association, representing over 200 companies, said prices rose by Rs100 per kilogram over the weekend following withdrawal of the trade exemption and could climb further without immediate intervention.
2026-10-19 · assertive framing · LPG stakeholders seek daily pricing amid soaring rates
Also by Khaleeq Kiani
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 39 articles by Khaleeq Kiani →

Topics

BANGKOK Gastech Pakistan Qatar UGDC

Subjects

Pakistan GPE · 6× Gastech ORG · 4× UGDC ORG · 3× Paracha PERSON · 2× BANGKOK GPE · 1× Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha PERSON · 1× Qatar GPE · 1× UAE GPE · 1× Universal Gas Distribution Company ORG · 1× the Gastech Conferences ORG · 1×

Narrative

Gastech report notes US-Iran war has redrawn global energy maps This is where Pakistan’s Universal Gas Distribution Company (UGDC) held discussions with several international firms on potential projects, including gas storage, long-term LNG supplies and gas distribution in overseas markets, its Chief Executive Officer Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said.
framing: mixed · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-18
🔮 Pakistan is among the worst-hit nations by liquefied natural gas (LNG) disruptions due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and could future-proof its domestic energy and power supply by increasing its focus on renewables and coal.
2026-09-18 · Dawn
LNG shortages hit Pakistan badly · mixed framing

Claims (15 extracted, 4 hedged)

Pakistan is among the worst-hit nations by liquefied natural gas (LNG) disruptions due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and could future-proof its domestic energy and power supply by increasing its focus on renewables and coal. uncertain
Pakistan → hit → renewables
“Qatar and the UAE together supply about 99pc of Pakistan’s LNG — mostly for power generation, fertiliser production and industrial use. asserted
Qatar → supply → generation
LNG accounts for about 30pc of total gas supply,” said the Gastech Conferences in its report ‘The Outlook for Gas and LNG Markets in Asia’ released at its 54th annual event. asserted
Conferences → account → event
It said that beyond addressing immediate challenges, policymakers in Asia may now be reviewing how to future-proof domestic energy and power systems with renewed focus on energy security. uncertain
policymakers → say → security
This could be done by accelerating renewables, such as swift-build, utility-scale solar, wind farms and commercial rooftop solar, plus storage deployment. uncertain
This → do → build
They would also be looking at speeding up investment in long-term infrastructure, including gas storage and updating power generation mixes and giving gas plants better flexibility. asserted
They → look → flexibility
Gastech report notes US-Iran war has redrawn global energy maps This is where Pakistan’s Universal Gas Distribution Company (UGDC) held discussions with several international firms on potential projects, including gas storage, long-term LNG supplies and gas distribution in overseas markets, its Chief Executive Officer Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said. asserted
Officer → note → markets
The Gastech report said the countries were also examining options for expanding operating reserves to ensure grid agility for unexpected events and rethinking fuel stockpiles by expanding strategic stocks for transport fuels and power generation. asserted
countries → say → fuels
The nations may also be looking at boosting cross-border power export/import options to share shortages. uncertain
nations → look → shortages
The report said the Middle East’s fluid landscape — as demonstrated by the conflict involving Israel, the United States and Iran which began in February and the resultant bottleneck in the Strait of Hormuz — has redrawn global energy maps in real time and further highlighted the geopolitical sensitivity of gas and LNG markets. asserted
which → say → markets
Gastech noted that gas supply disruptions have prompted Pakistan’s government to look to coal, hydropower, and nuclear power, while price volatility and shipping uncertainty are likely to sharply increase power costs. asserted
volatility → note → costs
Ghiyas Paracha told journalists that his company received a greater-than-anticipated response at the conference. asserted
company → tell → conference
“We have got understanding with some companies that have shown interest in building gas storage facilities in Pakistan. asserted
that → get → Pakistan
Some companies have shown keen interest in long-term LNG contracts with UGDC,” Paracha said. asserted
Paracha → show → UGDC
Paracha said UGDC’s participation at Gastech was also significant because the company was presenting Pakistan’s gas-sector reforms and the opening of the country’s gas market to private-sector participation at an international energy forum. asserted
company → say → forum
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