PESHAWAR: LPG Price Hits Rs. 500 Per Kg in Punjab and KP, Up to Rs. 600 in Hilly AreasLPG prices have skyrocketed in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, reaching up to Rs. 500 per kilogram, despite the official price being much lower.
Chairman of the LPG Distributors Association, Irfan Khokhar, said that for the month of October, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) had fixed the official price of LPG at Rs. 279 per kg.
However, in open markets of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, LPG is being sold at Rs. 500 per kg. He said that in hilly and remote areas of the country, including Murree, Swat, Malam Jabba, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, and parts of Kohistan and Dir, the price has gone up to Rs. 600 per kg.
Irfan Khokhar strongly criticized OGRA, saying the regulator has become a silent spectator to the massive overcharging and looting worth billions of rupees. He alleged that mafia, distributors and black marketers are openly selling LPG at double the official price and no action is being taken against them.
He said that due to the ongoing gas load-shedding and the arrival of winter season, the demand for LPG has increased sharply, especially in Punjab and KP where natural gas is not available in many areas. People are forced to buy LPG for cooking and heating at any price.
He demanded that the government should immediately use the SSGC LPG Terminal to import more LPG and control the price. He said if the government uses the SSGC terminal and increases LPG imports, the shortage can be overcome and prices can come down to the official rate.
Khokhar warned that if the government and OGRA do not take immediate action to control prices, LPG will become out of reach for poor and middle-class families, and protests will be held across the country.
He urged Prime Minister and OGRA Chairman to take strict action against those selling LPG at inflated rates and to ensure sale at the government-fixed price of Rs. 279 per kg.
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