No LPG for iftar: Ramzan starts on a sad note for Pak Muslims

The Holy Ramzan was Muslims in several parts of Pakistan has not started on a positive note as many homes reportedly did not get natural gas to cook.

After the Ramazan was spotted, people in many parts of the country complained that the natural gas was not available for consumers despite an official announcement from Sui Southern stating that the gas would be available during sehr and iftar. The company called it "gas profiling" during the month of Ramazan because of a yearly 8-9pc decline in the country's gas reserves, Dawn reported.

"For this purpose, to ensure better gas pressure, gas profiling will continue from 8 am to 2:30 pm," SSGC added.

A woman named Saba Naveed, a mother of three, told Pakistan's website that natural gas has not been available for them for over four months now. "When you switch on the stove, there is only a stale smell that comes out of it ... there is no gas pressure at all," a resident of Lyari is quoted as saying. Hence, they have permanently shifted to using gas cylinders.

In many areas, people have started depending on LPG gas cylinders which in turn is burning a hole in their pockets.

She also claims that a 2.5kg gas cylinder costs her Rs 600 and it lasts for nearly two weeks. "It is not just about the money ... it is a real risk using a gas cylinder with three children - under the age of 10 - around," she said.

However, load shedding has not been implemented anywhere in Pakistan, SSGC spokesperson Safdar Khooharo said. However, he claimed that some houses might face issues due to low pressure as over two crore homes turn on the stoves at the same time ahead of sehri. He added, "Thus, old lines of gas may face low pressure," Khooharo added.

The situation was no different in Rawalpindi. Several citizens have complained to the Pakistan website about facing issues over natural gas.

In Balochistan, there is a shortage of gas. "We had no other option when we woke up and found no gas pressure to cook sehri," Abdullah Zehri, a resident of Jail Road, told Dawn.

Pakistan's gas reserves are depleting fast as demand for fuel has surged with the growing population even as the supplies are shrinking due to no discovery of new gas reserves in the last 20 years.

The country mostly meets its energy demands through imported and indigenous resources currently in a ratio of 44:56. Disputes with foreign gas suppliers and the Russian invasion of Ukraine have also contributed to the gas crisis in Pakistan. Political instability, inconsistent policies, security problems and weak contract enforcements have also prevented foreign firms from investing in Pakistan's oil and gas exploration sector.