Pakistan is taking urgent steps to ensure the safe arrival of two liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments from Qatar, as rising tensions around the Strait of Hormuz threaten energy supply routes.
According to officials, both LNG vessels are already loaded and waiting near the entrance of the strait. Authorities in Pakistan are actively coordinating diplomatic and operational efforts to help the ships move safely into open waters. This includes close communication with Iranian officials to ease the transit process.
Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik recently held talks with Iran’s ambassador in Islamabad. These discussions were followed by further engagement between Pakistani and Iranian authorities to support the passage of the cargoes.
The situation is critical due to tight domestic gas supplies. At present, Pakistan is relying on the LNG carrier Seapeak Magellan, which is docked at the Pakistan GasPort Consortium terminal. The shipment, arranged by TotalEnergies, contains around 140,000 cubic meters of LNG priced at $18.40 per million British thermal units.
Currently, the terminal is processing nearly 300 million cubic feet per day of re-gasified LNG, with the majority supplied to the power sector. Additional supply is being supported by local natural gas and allocations to K-Electric power plants.
Officials say existing resources are only sufficient to meet demand for the first 10 days of May, making the timely arrival of the Qatari shipments essential—especially as energy demand rises in early summer.
Pakistan’s energy imports have come under increasing pressure due to regional geopolitical tensions. Earlier efforts to import four LNG cargoes from Qatar were disrupted amid conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which affected shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
Despite these challenges, widespread power outages have been avoided so far. Authorities say improved LNG availability and hydropower generation of around 6,000 megawatts have helped stabilize the national grid, although some areas are still experiencing limited load management.
