The twin cities LPG shortage has pushed households in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to wood and coal for cooking, as piped natural gas remains available for only six hours a day and liquefied petroleum gas sells for Rs600 per kilogramme against an official rate of Rs279.
Residents say the cold wave, the short gas supply window and the high price of LPG cylinders have left many homes without any affordable way to cook. The district administration and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority have failed to ensure LPG at the fixed price, according to the reporting, while the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines company has stopped supplying cylinders in the twin cities for two months.
The twin cities LPG shortage is now a daily routine problem rather than a one-day disruption. Gas is available from 7am to 9am, from 12 noon to 2pm, and from 6pm to 9pm. Outside those hours, families must either pay the market price for LPG or find another fuel.
What the twin cities LPG shortage costs a household
The price of an 11kg domestic gas cylinder has reached Rs6,500, while commercial cylinders sell for over Rs25,000. At Rs600 per kg, a domestic cylinder costs more than double the official rate set by the regulator. For a household that previously relied on piped gas, the shift to LPG is not a small extra cost. It is a second fuel bill on top of the gas connection they already pay for.
Mohammad Sajjad, a resident of Media Town, said he bought LPG cylinders because Sui gas was available only in the three daily windows, and that low pressure had disturbed daily routines. Israr Ahmed, a resident of Gowalmandi, said his family had faced a gas shortage since the cold weather began, and that buying a cylinder was an additional burden. Abdul Rasheed, another Gowalmandi resident, said the shortage had lasted over a month, blamed small factories using compressors to draw gas from the supply line, and said complaints had brought no result.
Shopkeepers confirm the change in buying patterns. Mohammad Akmal, a shopkeeper on Ch. Bostan Khan Road, said LPG sales had increased manifold, with local residents now buying cylinders and refilling them once a week. He said prices rose because dealers purchased LPG at high prices.
Food businesses are hit hardest, said Mohammad Farooq Chaudhry, president of the Rawalpindi Restaurants Caterers, Sweets and Bakers Association, who said the district administration and the regulator had failed to act against high prices.
Why the twin cities LPG shortage has not eased
Sui Northern Gas Pipelines officials said the company had issued a schedule for gas availability at breakfast, lunch and dinner times. They said LPG was not available with the company, and that cylinder supply in the twin cities stopped two months ago. Supply will resume when LPG arrives at Karachi port, they said.
That explanation points to a supply chain that runs through the port. According to the LPG Association of Office Bearers, 70 per cent of gas consumed in Pakistan is imported, with domestic production accounting for only 30 per cent. International transport of oil and gas has been disrupted, pushing prices up, and with winter demand rising, the association warned prices are likely to rise further.
The government has banned sales at refilling points, leaving only wholesale dealers permitted to sell, so households depend on private sellers at market prices.
The wider picture shows why the twin cities problem is part of a national strain, not a local failure alone. Feature Pakistan has reported on the reopening of the Gabd border crossing with Iran, which restored one land supply route, and on Pakistan boosting sea LPG imports after Iran supply disruption. Tribune reporting put the seaborne arrivals at more than 11,600 tonnes at Karachi ports in a week. Feature Pakistan also reported LPG selling at Rs570 per kg in Lahore, which shows the twin cities price of Rs600 per kg is not an outlier. The gap that remains in Rawalpindi and Islamabad is the gas company’s own cylinder supply, which has now been missing for two months.
