ISLAMABAD: Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar on Sunday said the government was going to introduce virtual gas pipeline system of Liquefied Natural Gas to overcome energy shortage in the country.

“The provision of gas to domestic consumers during the winter season is the first priority of the government,” he said talking to a private news channel.

Hammad Azhar said the government would receive two extra LNG cargoes in December to fulfill the requirement of the gas in the country.

The minister said the consumption of gas increased three per cent in every winter season and the government was making all-out efforts to meet the domestic demand of gas.

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He said the past regimes had set up expensive power plants in the country unnecessarily, which was the major cause of increase in the prices of electricity in the country.

On November 19, Advisor to Chief Minister Sindh on Law and Karachi Administrator, Murtaza Wahab had said that on November 12 Federal Minister for Energy, Hammad Azhar had misstated about production of gas in Sindh.

“Hammad said that Sindh produces 38 per cent gas, which is wrong,” Murtaza Wahab had said while addressing media in Karachi. On this occasion, he had showed the documents released by the federal government related to the energy sector.

He had said according to the centre’s documents Sindh produced 64 per cent gas, Balochistan 22 per cent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 11 per cent and Punjab three per cent.