High-power delegation to visit Russia to acquire oil, gas: NA informed

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Thursday that a high-power delegation will soon visit Russia to negotiate any possibility of long-term cooperation to acquire gas and oil.

According to details, Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum Division Hamid Hameed told the House in response to a question during Question Hour. “At present Russia has not offered to supply gas to Pakistan,” he said.

Hamid Hameed, however, added the government of Pakistan had written a letter to Russian authorities on 11th of the last month, conveying interest to procure two to three cargoes of LNG for the month of December 2022 and January next year at discounted price and deferred payment facility.

The Parliamentary Secretary noted that the Russian side has expressed its inability to provide the same for these months. In response to another question, he said currently, 229 fields were producing oil and gas in the country.

“A total of 16 new reservoirs of oil and gas were discovered during the last year,” he said adding that some blocks for exploration of oil and gas under sea will be offered for auction next year.

Meanwhile, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique said an effective anti-encroachment operation, with the support of local administration and the Frontier Corps, will be launched to retrieve encroached land of Zhob Railway station.

Khawaja Saad Rafique told the House in response to a calling attention notice moved by Qadir Khan Mandokhail and Aliya Kamran. “The land has encroached for the last 37 years and unfortunately, no attention was given in the past in that regard,” he said.

Responding to another calling attention, Parliamentary Secretary for Interior Muhammad Sajjad said sale and lease of commercial buildings for residential purposes are not permissible in Islamabad without completion certificate.

Earlier in September, Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif asserted that Pakistan was in talks with Russia over gas supplies and wheat import as the country faces soaring inflation amid climate-induced catastrophic floods.

“I have spoken to Russian President Putin about the availability of gas and he has promised me that he will most definitely will look into this,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said in an interview to Bloomberg.

However, the prime minister said, the two countries were yet to sign a deal on gas supply. Meanwhile, the premier noted that Pakistan was also looking to import wheat from Russia after heavy rains and subsequent floods damaged crops across the country.