LAHORE: SNGPL imposes and indinite ban on new gas connections in Punjab.
According to the deatails, In a major development amidst an escalating energy crisis, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) has announced an indefinite ban on new sui gas connections for all categories of consumers across Lahore and the wider Punjab province.
The suspension, effective immediately, extends existing restrictions on domestic users to include commercial entities, such as hotels and tandoors, with no definitive timeline for its reversal.
This decision by the state-owned utility has left thousands of applicants in limbo, including many who have already paid the mandatory urgent processing fees.
According to reliable sources within the company, the primary catalyst for the widespread indefinite ban on new sui gas connections is a critical shortfall in the system, exacerbated by a sudden cessation in the supply of Re-gasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG).
The timing is particularly distressing as it coincides with the onset of winter, during which the demand for gas for heating and cooking traditionally multiplies, leading to increased pressure on existing infrastructure and a widening gap between supply and demand.
“The system cannot sustain the load of existing consumers, let alone new ones,” a source explained.
The impact of this indefinite ban on new sui gas connections is already being felt acutely by local and commercial users.
Domestic consumers, who were previously facing delays, are now entirely barred from obtaining new meters, forcing many to rely on expensive and dangerous alternative fuels.
For commercial users, particularly in the food industry, the sudden disconnection and inability to secure new connections are crippling their operations.
“Thousands of tandoors and hotels are facing closure because they have been cut off from the gas supply and cannot obtain new connections,” the source added.
When contacted for an official statement, SNGPL authorities clarified that the indefinite ban on new sui gas connections was not an internal decision but a mandatory directive issued by the Ministry of Petroleum.
They emphasized that the underlying issues are macroeconomic and geopolitical in nature.
The critical RLNG supply, on which Pakistan heavily depends, has been directly affected by international instability.
Specifically, the officials stated that the restoration of normal services and the issuance of new connections are unlikely until the ongoing tensions, described as “the Iran-US war” context, are de-escalated and global energy supply chains are stabilized.
Until then, both domestic and commercial consumers across Punjab must prepare for a long period without natural gas infrastructure.
SNGPL and the Enduring Suspension of Natural Gas Infrastructure
The indefinite ban on new sui gas connections in Lahore and throughout Punjab is a symptom of a deep-seated energy crisis that has gripped the country’s most populous region.
SNGPL, which supplies natural gas to Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and parts of the federal capital, Islamabad, has been grappling with dwindling domestic gas reserves and an increasing reliance on volatile imported RLNG.
The situation in the capital city, Islamabad, has been equally severe, where the Ministry of Energy has previously imposed and repeatedly extended a ban on new meters.
This systematic restriction has caused a severe backlog, with hundreds of thousands of applicants for new gas connections accumulating over the past few years.
This accumulation has occurred despite the company continuing to accept urgent fee payments, which are supposed to expedite the process.
The enduring suspension on infrastructure development has forced many developers of new housing societies to install their own private, high-cost LPG or LNG networks, while individuals are turning to electric heating and hazardous wood-burning stoves, which contribute to the region’s notorious smog problem.
The ban’s extension to the commercial sector signifies that the crisis is no longer just a household issue but a serious economic threat to small businesses, which are the backbone of the region’s culinary and hospitality sectors.
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The lack of natural gas meters, a staple requirement for most economic activities in Punjab, severely hampers economic growth, urban planning, and the quality of life, highlighting the urgent need for a cohesive national energy strategy that can overcome both domestic supply issues and geopolitical constraints.
