Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed authorities to ensure an uninterrupted gas supply to domestic consumers during the winter season without delay, Radio Pakistan reported.

Many consumers have been facing a shortage of gas supply across different parts of the country amid increasing cold weather.

Last week, Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon expressed concern regarding gas loadshedding in the province saying it had reached an alarming level and people faced severe hardships due to the gas scarcity, which was adversely impacting daily life and industrial activities.

According to a recent Dawn report, the acute shortage of gas and its skyrocketing tariffs have forced thousands of commercial users to get their gas connections severed this year.

Chairing a review meeting in Islamabad today on the countrywide gas supply situation, the premier took notice of complaints about reduced gas supply to domestic consumers, instructing for reforms in the supply system to resolve the issue permanently.

PM Shehbaz emphasised that providing gas to domestic consumers remained the government’s top priority.

He was briefed that surplus Regasified Liquefied Natural Gas (RLNG) was available in the system, leading to an improvement in gas load management compared to last year.

During the meeting, it was claimed that the duration of gas loadshedding was shorter this year, with “domestic consumers being provided gas from 5am to 10pm daily”, Radio Pakistan reported.

It added that the meeting was informed that gas was being supplied to the power sector “as per demand”.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) have online dashboards in operation to address consumer complaints, with a complaint resolution rate of 93 per cent and 79pc respectively, the report noted. It further stated that all gas fields in the country were fully operational.

Economic Affairs Minister Ahad Khan Cheema, Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik, PM’s Coordinator Rana Ehsan Afzal, and senior government officials attended the meeting.