The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has announced that it will approach the Islamabad High Court over LPG prices in Pakistan, with consumers paying Rs600 to Rs800 per kg for gas that the regulator has priced at Rs294.
The party says the gap between the official and retail prices amounts to profiteering and that the government has failed to protect households from excessive prices. It has urged the government to investigate the price gap, recover unlawful gains and hold those responsible accountable.
According to the party, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority notified the LPG price at Rs294 per kg for November, but consumers in different parts of the country were being charged between Rs600 and Rs800 per kg.
Talking to Dawn, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said the government had failed to take concrete measures despite the commodity being essential for millions of households, particularly those without access to piped natural gas.
A forensic audit of the supply chain
Waqas Akram questioned how retailers could charge such high prices when the regulator had announced a substantially lower rate, and demanded an investigation into the companies, importers and distributors allegedly benefiting from the price difference.
He called for a forensic audit of the entire LPG supply chain, including imports, customs declarations, bank transactions, domestic production, company inventories, storage records and retail prices, and demanded that preliminary findings be made public within 30 days.
The party also demanded disclosure of the companies benefiting from the existing quota system, recovery of any unlawfully collected amounts and compensation for affected consumers.
According to a statement issued by the party, Pakistan consumes around 7,000 tonnes of LPG daily against domestic production of approximately 2,000 tonnes, leaving the country heavily dependent on imports, particularly from Iran.
The PTI leader said an additional margin of Rs400 per kilogram across daily consumption of 7,000 tonnes could translate into Rs2.8 billion a day and Rs84 billion a month. The figures are the party’s own calculation, resting on its claim that retailers are charging about Rs400 above the notified rate.
LPG prices in Pakistan already at a record
The court move comes as LPG prices have already hit a record. The price of a household cylinder has reached Rs6,498, up nearly 80 per cent since the start of 2026. The figure, for an 11.67kg cylinder, comes from the latest available data as of November 5, compiled by brokerage Topline Securities from Pakistan Bureau of Statistics data.
The cylinder price has climbed from about Rs3,600 at the start of the year. Buyers in many areas now pay about double the official rate set by the regulator, and the increase lands as winter approaches, when households use more gas for cooking and heating.
The government has tried to change how LPG is shared out. It has reserved 10 per cent of local LPG for state-owned firms under a new allocation plan, and a fair pricing plan based on auctions has been put forward to close the gap between the notified rate and the market price. Neither step has yet brought retail prices down to the official level.
The import link matters too. Pakistan buys much of its LPG from Iran, and supply through that route has tightened as the conflict in the Gulf has grown. The United States has struck Iran’s Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, which sits on the shipping lane that carries the region’s energy.
For households, the pressure is part of a wider squeeze. Food prices in Lahore have risen sharply, with overcharging reported across essential items, and gas is now adding to the same monthly bill.
What happens next
The PTI will file its petition in the Islamabad High Court, where it will ask the court to order an investigation and a forensic audit. The court will first decide whether to admit the petition and issue notices to the government and the regulator.
The government has not yet responded to the party’s demands. If the court takes up the case, the 30-day deadline for preliminary findings that the PTI has demanded will be one of the first questions before it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the official LPG price?
The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority notified the LPG price at Rs294 per kg for November.
What are consumers actually paying?
Consumers in different parts of the country are being charged between Rs600 and Rs800 per kg, according to the PTI, nearly double the official rate.
What does the PTI want the court to do?
The party will ask the Islamabad High Court to order an investigation into the price gap, a forensic audit of the whole LPG supply chain, disclosure of the companies benefiting from the quota system, recovery of unlawful gains and compensation for consumers.
How much LPG does Pakistan use?
Pakistan consumes around 7,000 tonnes of LPG a day against domestic production of about 2,000 tonnes, so it depends heavily on imports, particularly from Iran.
How much has the cylinder price risen?
A household 11.67kg cylinder now costs Rs6,498, up nearly 80 per cent since the start of 2026, when it was about Rs3,600.
