ISLAMABAD, Aug 30: A high-level meeting under President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday decided to facilitate increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports by the private sector.

It was also decided to ask the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) to extend their pipeline network to cities and towns in order to overcome the energy shortages in the country.

Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Akram Sheikh, who attended the meeting, told Dawn that a decision had also been taken that the government will construct new berths at Port Qasim, Karachi, to help store the imported liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas.

The private sector, he said, would be provided necessary facilities to invest in energy related projects with a view to cut the growing energy shortages.

Dr Sheikh said that the meeting discussed various proposals to attract further foreign investment in the oil and gas sector. "And our new measures are expected to help attract more foreign investment in this sector," he said.

Responding to a question, he said that the government will provide land to the investors at the proposed new berths at Port Qasim so as to extensively facilitate them.

He said the president told the meeting that there should be public-private partnership for constructing new gas pipelines. However, in case the private sector could not manage to transport LNG to cities and towns, then the public sector should take the responsibility to deliver, the president said.

Gen Musharraf said that the private sector's participation in the oil and gas sector was essential to give much needed impetus for ensuring fuel for Pakistan's sustained high growth rate, employment generation and socio-economic development.

The participants of the meeting were briefed about various incentives being taken by the concerned government agencies for attracting foreign investment in this vital sector and progress on provision of gas to various parts of the country.

The president emphasised the need for greater private sector participation in oil and gas and expressed the hope that all the concerned government bodies would take necessary steps to facilitate the investors.

The meeting reviewed in detail the progress on the supply of natural gas across Pakistan. The meeting was also attended by Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Amanullah Khan Jadoon, Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Khan Ghauri and other senior officials.