{
  "id": 18248130,
  "title": "Pakistan Ends LPG Monopoly, Brings in Open Bidding for Locally Produced Gas",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/05/pakistan-ends-lpg-monopoly-brings-in-open-bidding-for-locally",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-05T04:21:29.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ProPakistani",
    "slug": "propakistani",
    "url": "https://propakistani.pk/2026/11/05/pakistan-ends-lpg-monopoly-brings-in-open-bidding-for-locally-produced-gas/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif unveiled a new system for distributing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) on Wednesday, signaling an end to the long-standing monopoly in the sector and ushering in a new era of competitive bidding for locally produced supplies. The government's announcement comes in anticipation of increased energy demand during the upcoming winter months.\n\nDelivering his remarks at the federal cabinet meeting, Sharif emphasized the government's commitment to maintaining uninterrupted supplies of LNG, LPG, and oil, despite surging international prices and challenges affecting maritime routes. He noted that daily meetings were being held to assess energy needs and devise contingency and coordination plans.\n\nUnder the revamped LPG allocation process, the government will conduct competitive auctions for locally produced LPG under strict supervision. Importers of the commodity will be obligated to comply with established procedures. Sharif revealed that revenue accrued from the transparent auction system would be directed towards the national treasury, subsequently utilized to subsidize and alleviate the financial burden on ordinary citizens.\n\nThe LPG crisis in Pakistan has been exacerbated by a significant supply shortage triggered by the closure of the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan border crossings with Iran on October 17. This closure has disrupted imports of around 7,000 metric tons of LPG per day, primarily due to security concerns and efforts to combat smuggling, although Iran has attributed the disruption to technical issues.\n\nThe supply disruption has driven open market prices to as high as Rs. 700 to Rs. 800 per kilogram in certain regions, far surpassing the officially sanctioned November rate of Rs. 294 per kilogram by the LPG Regulatory Authority. A 12-kilogram cylinder, which used to cost approximately Rs. 4,500, has now skyrocketed to around Rs. 7,000, placing immense strain on households as the government rushes to secure alternative imports.",
  "summary": "Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has announced a revised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) allocation system, ending what he described as a … Read More The post Pakistan Ends LPG Monopoly, Brings in Open Bidding for Locally Produced Gas appeared first on ProPakistani .",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}