Pakistan: Energy crisis reaches new heights

LAHORE – SHORTAGE of natural gas, CNG and LPG has followed petrol crisis and almost everyone has been affected.

The City is in the grip of severe cold weather and citizens are unable to warm their houses because of shortage of electricity and gas.


Electricity is expensive and available only for a few hours. Gas pressure in many residential areas is inadequate even for cooking or heating homes.

An acute shortage of petrol has affected the mobility of people. Petrol shortage has impacted mostly motorcyclists and luxury car owners who have not converted their vehicles to CNG. Majority of people owning CNG cars had not faced much hardship in getting fuel for their vehicles ever since cold weather set in.

Petrol shortage has resulted partly from short petrol supply and partly from storage by vehicles owners. Petrol pumps are also unwilling to stock petrol fearing a price drop. Petrol pump owners want their commission increased – something the government had agreed to implement from January 1, 2009.

The International News