Commerce Desk
KARACHI :Mian Zahid Hussain, President of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum and former Sindh IT Minister, has expressed concern over LPG prices reaching Rs500–600 per kilogram in markets, against OGRA’s notified October price of Rs279.34. The notified price rose about 8 percent from September, but market rates are roughly 79–115 percent higher than the official rate. An 11.8-kg cylinder costs Rs5,900–7,080 instead of the notified Rs3,296, leaving consumers paying Rs2,600–3,800 extra.
He noted that imports make up about 67 percent of Pakistan’s LPG supply, and that the September 19 suspension of border trade with Iran and regional conflict have disrupted availability. With LNG supplies uncertain, households and businesses are turning to LPG, raising costs for restaurants, bakeries, and small businesses, and fueling inflation.
He urged OGRA to enforce stock-reporting rules, curb hoarding and profiteering, and scrutinize import and transport costs. He also called for coordinated action among government bodies, a winter supply plan covering LNG, gas, and LPG, and targeted relief for deserving households.
