Efforts underway to secure additional gas supplies to meet energy requirements: petroleum minister
Energy Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik holds meeting with Qatari Ambassador to Pakistan Ali bin Mubarak Al Khater. PHOTO: X
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said on Thursday that efforts were underway to secure additional gas supplies in light of national energy requirements, as the government was formulating a comprehensive energy security policy aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s resilience against external disruptions.
He made this statement during a meeting with Qatar’s Ambassador, Ali bin Mubarak Al-Khater.
According to the statement issued by the Ministry of Energy, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen Pakistan-Qatar energy cooperation and agreed to maintain close coordination to ensure stable and reliable energy supplies in the future.
"The primary purpose of the meeting was to express Pakistan’s gratitude to Qatar for its timely facilitation in ensuring LNG supplies and to further strengthen coordination for future energy cooperation, especially regarding strategic storage," the statement read.
Federal Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik held a meeting with the Ambassador of Qatar to Pak, H.E. Mr. Ali bin Mubarak Al-Khater. During the meeting, the Federal Minister thanked the State of Qatar for its continued support in providing LNG cargoes at a critical time. pic.twitter.com/e8GvRxoESJ
Malik mentioned that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the government was formulating a comprehensive energy security policy aimed at strengthening Pakistan’s resilience against external disruptions.
During the meeting, the minister thanked Qatar for its continued support in providing LNG cargoes at a critical time when Pakistan was facing challenges due to congestion in the Strait of Hormuz and the peak summer power demand.
He also noted that Pakistan greatly values Qatar’s cooperation, which "reflected the strong brotherly ties between the two countries." He added that he remained in constant contact with Qatar’s Minister of Energy, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, and coordinated closely regarding LNG vessels. "As a result, two LNG cargoes have successfully reached Pakistan," he said.
According to the statement, the minister emphasised that Pakistan would continue to coordinate closely with Qatar to ensure uninterrupted LNG supplies, highlighting that Pakistan’s preference was to secure supplies from friendly, brotherly countries through necessary approvals, without risking any loss of life or property.
Read More: Pakistan offers Kuwait strategic oil reserves
The statement further mentioned that Qatar’s envoy reaffirmed Qatar’s unwavering support for Pakistan, stating that Qatar had directed him to extend all possible facilitation to Pakistan in meeting its energy needs. The ambassador also praised Pakistan’s mediation efforts between the US and Iran and its constructive role in promoting peace and stability in the region.
Earlier in the week, Malik also held a meeting with Kuwait’s Ambassador to Pakistan Nassar Abdulrahman Almutairi in Islamabad and discussed cooperation and joint projects in the refining sector. Both discussed the possibility of establishing strategic storage facilities in the country.
The minister thanked Kuwait for the "timely facilitation" of the vessel Khairpur, which arrived in Pakistan carrying 45,000 tonnes of diesel and 10,000 tonnes of jet fuel "during a challenging period".