Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to urgently accelerate the exploration and extraction of domestic oil and gas reserves, warning that Pakistan’s continued dependence on expensive petroleum imports is economically unsustainable. Chairing a high-level review meeting on the petroleum sector, the prime minister emphasized that boosting local energy production is critical to stabilizing the economy and ensuring long-term energy security.

He also ordered fast-track digitization of the oil and gas supply chain, from imports to retail fuel pumps, to improve transparency, curb smuggling, and protect national revenue. Officials briefed the meeting on a major oil and gas discovery by OGDCL in the Nashpa Block, Kohat, with expected production of around 4,100 barrels of oil per day. The prime minister also highlighted improvements in winter gas supply, progress on new RLNG connections, and pipeline projects, while directing OGRA to shift fuel pumps to electronic nozzles and move fuel transportation from roads to pipelines to reduce costs and carbon emissions.