UGDC establishes national presence at Gastech expo

ISLAMABAD: In a landmark milestone for the nation’s energy sector, Pakistan has officially joined Gastech — the world’s premier international energy forum —marking its first-ever participation in the event’s 54-year history. Representing the country on this global stage, Universal Gas Distribution Company (UGDC), Pakistan’s pioneer private gas supplier, has established a national presence at the Gastech Exhibition & Conference 2026, held at BITEC in Thailand from September 14–17. The event’s President Organiser formally highlighted the historic entry during the grand inauguration. The official Gastech strategic preview gives 7, 000 delegates, 50, 000 attendees and 1, 000 exhibiting companies, with representatives from 49 countries. At present, two state-owned gas distribution companies, SNGPL and SSGC, have a distribution network. Now, the private sector has planned to set up distribution networks in joint ventures with foreign companies, including US firms, aimed at providing gas to consumers at affordable rates. “The government has announced a policy to allocate 35 percent of gas to private parties, which is an important step towards the deregulation of gas distribution. ” CEO UGDC Ghiyas Paracha said while talking to the media at GASTEC being held in Bangkok, Thailand. He said, “We appreciate Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik for opening up the gas sector for private entities that has enabled us to pitch foreign companies to invest in the gas distribution network in Pakistan. ” Ghiyas Abdullah 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 are one in the country and want to see more companies from the private sector to invest in the gas sector. ” He said that a gas distribution network by the private sector would also help cut gas losses, resulting in the provision of cheaper gas to consumers through sustainable continuous supply and storage capability. “The UGDC has already operationalised three dormant gas fields by processing raw gas into pipeline-quality supply. Plans are underway with international partners — including top US firms — to scale purification infrastructure and integrate stranded reserves into the national grid, ” he said, adding that they also want to attract foreign investment in this area. To combat seasonal supply shortages and pressure fluctuations, he said that UGDC had been actively engaging in short-term and long-term LNG import deals in the past. He also advocated for commercial underground gas storage facilities to capture favorable international prices. Gas losses have been a key factor in rising gas prices in Pakistan. To reduce high Unaccounted for Gas (UFG) losses and bypass inefficient legacy distribution networks, he said that UGDC also aims to construct targeted private pipeline infrastructure for high-volume industrial units and major residential schemes aimed at providing cheaper gas in a joint venture with foreign firms. He also informed that, expanding on previous milestone agreements with global leaders such as ExxonMobil, Qatar Energy, ConocoPhillips, and Trafigura, UGDC continues to invite international majors to co-invest under Pakistan’s newly deregulated framework. Addressing bureaucratic hurdles, Paracha emphasised that private sector participation operates entirely on private capital without government subsidies. “It generates significant revenue for the state through pipeline transit tariffs and taxes. Greater market liberalisation will lower energy costs for end consumers, enhance industrial competitiveness, and usher in a resilient, market-driven energy future for Pakistan, ” he said, adding that the government will collect more taxes while consumers will get cheaper gas through the participation of the private sector. Pakistan’s Ambassador in Bangkok, Sadia Qazi, visited the UGDC stalls and appreciated the effort of UGDC to represent Pakistan in the Gastech Exhibition. She appreciated the delegation’s participation as a watershed moment for Pakistani business globally. She observed that while gas remains a conventional fossil fuel, integrating modern technology, AI optimisation, and low-carbon solutions is essential to securing Pakistan’s long-term energy security. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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