ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday directed authorities to prioritise the exploration of new oil and gas fields in an effort to reduce Pakistan’s reliance on costly petroleum imports and conserve foreign exchange, officials said.
Chairing a high-level meeting on matters related to the Petroleum Division, the prime minister stressed that greater utilisation of domestic energy resources was essential for ensuring long-term economic stability. He noted that rising import bills for oil and gas continued to place pressure on the country’s external accounts and underscored the need for a sustainable, locally driven energy strategy.
During the meeting, Mr Sharif also ordered the digitisation of the entire oil and gas supply chain, covering both imports and domestic utilisation, on a priority basis. According to the prime minister, digitisation would help improve transparency, efficiency and monitoring across the sector.
“With the digitisation of the oil and gas supply chain, smuggling of these products will be effectively curbed, which will ultimately benefit the national exchequer,” he said, adding that modernising systems was critical for reducing leakages and losses.
Officials briefed the meeting on recent developments in the exploration sector, including the discovery of significant new oil and gas reservoirs by Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) in the Nashpa Block area of Kohat district. The newly discovered reserves are expected to produce approximately 4,100 barrels of oil per day, providing a modest but important boost to domestic output.
The prime minister was also informed that domestic gas consumers had experienced improved gas pressure during the current winter season compared to the same period last year. Officials attributed the improvement to better supply management and infrastructure upgrades.
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Progress on liquefied natural gas (RLNG) connections was also reviewed. The meeting was told that work had accelerated, with a target of providing 350,000 new RLNG connections to consumers by June 2026. In addition, officials reported that pipelines for the Sheva and Batani gas fields had been commissioned, while construction of a pipeline from the Kot Palak gas field was currently underway.
The newly discovered reserves are expected to yield around 4,100 barrels of oil per day.https://t.co/XutznjJbd2
— Dawn Business (@dawn_business) January 2, 2026
In a separate meeting on economic reforms held later in the day, Prime Minister Sharif emphasised that the implementation of the government’s economic governance agenda was unavoidable. He said structural reforms were necessary to stabilise the economy and place it on a path of sustainable growth.
The prime minister sought proposals from all relevant ministries, calling for practical measures and a comprehensive reform strategy that could be implemented within a minimal timeframe. He reiterated the government’s commitment to continuing difficult but necessary reforms to strengthen economic management and restore investor confidence.
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