ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday chaired a meeting on the petroleum sector, directing authorities to prioritise the exploration of new oil and gas reserves and fully digitise the country’s oil and gas supply chain to curb smuggling, enhance transparency and reduce the burden of fuel imports on the national exchequer.
Addressing a meeting at the Prime Minister’s House, he said that enhancing indigenous oil and gas production must remain a national priority to save precious foreign exchange. He stressed that Pakistan could not afford inefficiencies and leakages in a sector of such critical economic importance.
He instructed that the entire oil and gas supply chain — from imports and transportation to distribution and end-user consumption — should be digitised on a priority basis. The digitisation, he said would help prevent smuggling of petroleum products, improve monitoring and deliver tangible financial benefits to the national treasury.
The meeting was briefed on the government’s roadmap for the petroleum and gas sector, during which officials informed participants that Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) had discovered major oil and gas reserves in the Nashpa Block of Kohat district in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
According to the briefing, the newly discovered reserves are capable of producing 4,100 barrels of oil per day, marking a significant addition to the country’s indigenous energy resources. The PM congratulated the nation on the discovery and commended the OGDCL and other relevant institutions for their efforts, terming the find a positive development for Pakistan’s energy security and economic stability.
The meeting was also informed that domestic gas supply to household consumers during the current winter season has improved compared to last year, with better pressure being maintained across many areas. Officials further briefed that work on RLNG connections is progressing rapidly, with a target of 350,000 connections to be completed by June 2026.
In addition, it was shared that pipelines for the Shewa Gas Field and Bettani Gas Field have already been commissioned, while pipeline work for the Kot Palak Gas Field is currently underway, which is expected to further strengthen the national gas supply network.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik, and senior government officials.
Separately, PM Shehbaz Sharif chaired a review meeting on economic reforms, increasing investment and progress on proposed developmental projects, on the first day of the new year, and sought recommendations aimed at further facilitation of foreign and domestic investors.
Terming implementation of the government’s policies on economic governance inevitable, he sought proposals from all relevant ministries suggesting practical measures and a comprehensive strategy involving minimal duration.
The premier viewed that coordination among all ministries and cooperation between federal and provincial governments had a crucial role in effective economic reforms and overall economic growth.
Calling the institutional and administrative facilitation of investors part of the government’s priorities, the prime minister directed all ministries to promptly prepare recommendations related to external and internal investment and development projects in their respective sectors. He said that in order to increase investment, special attention should be given to promoting exports and executing relevant projects.
PM Shehbaz also instructed the relevant ministries to extend cooperation through Pakistani embassies worldwide for facilitating foreign investors. He also directed that the initial orientation on the facilities for investors and other relevant information on investment should be made available at Pakistani embassies. He also asked all the ministries to give equal attention to industrial production, agriculture and all other important sectors with a view to attracting investment.
