The government has lifted the four-year ban on new domestic gas connections, allowing the resumption of supply to households, Managing Director of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL), Amer Tufail, said on Wednesday.

He stated that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the reopening of household gas connections to facilitate the public, ending a prolonged restriction imposed due to gas shortages.

Tufail confirmed that the government will provide liquefied natural gas (LNG) connections to domestic consumers, a move expected to ease the long-standing backlog of applications.

However, he noted that LNG would be about 30 per cent more expensive compared to conventional natural gas.

According to SNGPL, the company aims to complete 300,000 new household connections during the current year, while from next year onward, 600,000 consumers will be connected annually under the revised plan.

The MD further said that around 245,000 demand notices had already been submitted by consumers over the past few years, which will now be processed.