KARACHI: The nati­onal average price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has increased to Rs3,900-5,135 per 11.67 kg cylinder from Rs3,150-3,968 ahead of the Middle East war.

According to data from the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) for the week ending March 26, the largest incr­eases were observed across various cities in Punjab.

The increase in gas prices has already led to higher fares for LPG-run private transport, further adding hardships for low- and middle-income groups who mainly travel in LPG-driven rickshaws, buses, and minibuses.

As the US-Israel war has caused a price hike in LPG in the world market — the arrival of gas from Iran, which used to range between 10,000-12,000 tonnes a day, has also slowed down due to Eid and Nauroz holidays.

Convenor of the Standing Committee on LPG of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry M. Ali Haider, stated that three vessels carrying approximately 20,000 imp­orted LPG had arrived in Pakistan during March.

“The country has 13-14 days of LPG stocks and hopefully the arrival of gas from Iranian borders will improve after holidays, which may stabilise dem­and and supply,’ he said.

According to data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), the import bill of LPG during 8MFY26 fell by four per cent to $696 million from $725 million in the same period last fiscal year.

He said the country’s total annual LPG requirement is 2m tonnes, with 1.2m tonnes imported and 800,000 tonnes produced by local refineries.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2026