LAHORE: Pakistan’s LPG sector is facing a historic supply shortfall as tensions between Iran and Israel have led to the closure of the Taftan border crossing, halting monthly imports of about 100,000 metric tons of LPG from Iran. Industry leaders have warned that the disruption could send domestic cylinder prices skyrocketing and affect both domestic and commercial consumers.
The closure in Taftan reflects regional security concerns and similar restrictions imposed by Iran. Officials have confirmed that the entire border area, including air and land routes, has been sealed.
The move has raised concerns of a severe LPG shortage, especially in Balochistan, where domestic storage capacity is inadequate and regional markets have historically relied on this supply chain.
LPG Association Chairman Irfan Khokhar sounded the alarm, saying that without immediate import substitution and expansion of storage capacity, the price of a domestic cylinder could rise by Rs 5,000-6,000, while the price of a commercial cylinder could go up to Rs 20,000-23,000.
He called for immediate government action to secure new supply channels and urged importers to maintain buffer stocks.
With winter approaching and energy demand expected to increase, authorities stress that failure to act quickly could result in widespread energy shortages.
