ISLAMABAD, 30 DEC (DNA) – Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said that present government is taking measures to overcome energy shortage in the country.

Talking to a news channel in Islamabad, he said that government has initiated steps to increase gas production in the country. He said that energy shortage could not be overcome until availability of gas was increased in the country.

Khaqan Abbasi said that present government will import LNG to resolve gas crisis in the country. He said that work has been started in phases to lay a gas pipeline under TAPI project costing 400 billion rupees. The project has been lingering on for the last twenty-four years.

To a question regarding Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline project, he said that it could not be completed due to international sanctions on Iran.

He dispelled the impression that gas was not being provided to domestic consumers despite its availability. He said however it is being provided to the industrial sectors in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa under the Constitution. DNA