BANGKOK: Pakistan made a humble footprint at the international Gastech 2026 conference after an emerging private enterprise started pitching investment options for urban gas storage and targeted pipeline networks as alternatives to state-owned systems with high losses.

At the inaugural session of the 54th annual conference, an organiser announced that companies from three countries made their debut, including Pakistan and Zambia, bringing the number of represented countries to 150.

Universal Gas Distribution Company (UGDC) set up a stall alongside leading global energy majors like ExxonMobil, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Petronas, Turkish Energy and Sinopec.

Organisers said Gastech 2026 included 8,000 delegates, 50,000 attendees and 1,000 exhibiting companies, with representatives from 150 countries.

Private firm seeks foreign investment for cheaper gas

UGDC is the first Pakistani company to set up a stall at the exhibition in 54 years. All multinational gas companies from different countries, including the US, participated in the exhibition.

UGDC, Pakistan’s first private gas distribution company, has pitched to foreign investors to attract investment in the gas sector to build a separate distribution network to provide cheaper gas to consumers.

At present, two state-owned gas distribution companies, SNGPL and SSGC, have distribution networks. Now, the private sector has planned to set up distribution networks through joint ventures with foreign companies, including US firms, aimed at providing cheaper gas to consumers.

Currently, UGDC is providing gas to its consumers at lower rates than the tariff charged by state-owned gas companies.

“The government has announced a policy to allocate 35 per cent of gas to private parties, which is an important step towards the deregulation of gas distribution,” said CEO UGDC Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha while speaking to the media in Bangkok.

Mr Paracha also outlined the company’s vision to transform the nation’s energy market by attracting foreign direct investment and establishing direct business-to-business (B2B) joint ventures to cut gas prices in Pakistan.

We appreciate the government for opening the gas sector to the private sector, which has enabled us to pitch to foreign companies to invest in Pakistan’s gas distribution network, he added.

He said that a gas distribution network operated by the private sector would also help cut gas losses, resulting in cheaper gas for consumers.

“We are one company and want to see more companies from the private sector to invest in the gas sector,” he said.

UGDC has already operationalised three dormant gas fields by processing raw gas to pipeline quality. Plans are underway with international partners—including top US firms—to scale up purification infrastructure and integrate stranded reserves into the national grid,” he said, adding that they also aim to attract foreign investment in this area.

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2026