The Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) on Wednesday announced designated gas supply timings for domestic consumers during the winter season, prioritising availability during cooking hours in accordance with the directives of the Government of Pakistan. In a post on X, SSGC said it was committed to prioritising domestic customers and ensuring gas availability during designated cooking hours. According to the schedule shared by the company, gas would be available for breakfast from 6:30am to 9am, lunch from 12pm to 2:30pm and dinner from 6pm to 9pm. This winter as per the directives of Government of Pakistan, SSGC is committed to prioritizing domestic customers and ensuring gas availability during designated cooking hours. pic.twitter.com/edBxTWOdav — SSGC Official (@SSGC_Official) November 4, 2026 The company said the arrangements were aimed at “managing gas load effectively this winter” while ensuring a steady gas supply in line with government directives. Govt unveils LPG reforms A day earlier, the government announced sweeping reforms to open the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sector to competition, improve supply and curb profiteering. Addressing a press conference alongside Information Minister Attaullah Tarar earlier, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had directed the government to provide maximum relief to low-income groups. A major focus of the briefing was the LPG sector, where the government plans to abolish the existing quota-based distribution mechanism, introduce competitive auctions and encourage public and private companies to import the commodity at competitive prices. The minister said domestic LPG production stood at around 2,000 to 2,500 tonnes daily, while a substantial portion of demand had traditionally been met through imports from the western border. Supply disruptions had allowed some market players to sell the commodity for Rs700 to Rs800 per kilogramme. Read: Govt cuts fuel prices, unveils LPG reforms Under the proposed reforms, locally produced LPG will be auctioned in transparent lots of five to 10 tonnes among companies licensed by Ogra. The auction results will be made public, with the process monitored by the petroleum secretary and Ogra chairman. State-owned companies, including Pakistan State Oil, Sui Southern Gas Company and Pakistan LNG Limited, have been directed to arrange bulk supplies through government-to-government and business-to-business agreements. Private companies will also be encouraged to import LPG. Malik said importers would disclose monthly cost components, including Saudi Aramco's contract price, premiums, freight charges and other expenses, on their websites. The government also plans to establish price stabilisation and vulnerable consumers' protection funds to help deserving households obtain LPG at subsidised rates. He said the government would ensure that the 10% LPG quota allocated for remote and hard-to-reach areas was properly utilised, with state-owned companies responsible for procuring and distributing the allocated supplies. The minister added that the Competition Commission had been asked to act against cartelisation and anti-competitive practices, while Ogra would strengthen licensing and audit mechanisms to prevent hoarding and profiteering. On international pricing, Malik said Saudi Aramco's contract price had risen from $540 per tonne in March to $756 per tonne, prompting a corresponding revision in domestic LPG prices. He said the prevailing spot-market price, after accounting for associated costs, was estimated at Rs450 to Rs500 per kilogramme. Malik also assured consumers that the government would make every effort to meet winter gas demand, particularly during meal times. He said domestic demand was expected to rise by 400 to 500 million cubic feet per day and that alternative arrangements for imported liquefied natural gas would be made to meet requirements. Read more: Oil rises on Iran war uncertainty after Trump's Republicans face election rout Information Minister Tarar said the government had abolished the LPG monopoly and discretionary quota system to introduce transparency and competition. He added that the prime minister had provided Rs130 billion in subsidies to consumers and prioritised public relief during the energy crisis. The government has also announced that oil refineries will bear a cumulative burden of Rs15 billion over 30 days under a revised petrol pricing mechanism, allowing a reduction of Rs14.71 per litre at the consumer end. Malik said the new LPG arrangements were expected to become fully operational before winter, adding that the government aimed to establish a competitive market with transparent pricing and more reliable supplies.