ISLAMABAD: The first-ever agreement was signed on Thursday between two private companies of Pakistan and Qatar for import of initially 1.3 million tonnes per annum Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to Pakistan. The agreement was signed at the PM House between Global Energy Infrastructure Limited (GEIL) of Pakistan and Qatar Gas, largest LNG import company of the world. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif along with Minister for Petroleum, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, and Minister for Finance, Ishaq Dar, besides Qatar Gas CEO and the Global Energy Infrastructure Limited CEO witnessed the ceremony. The project was envisioned five years ago that was now being realised to help mitigate the energy crisis of the country. The engagement of private firms is part of government’s strategies to rid the country of energy crisis it had inherited in 2013. In order to tackle the chronic energy crisis, the government was pursuing short, mid and long term plans and strategies to cope with the gas and electricity needs of the country. The first LNG terminal was delivering the commodity to the end consumers imported from Qatar, while more LNG terminal projects and supplies are also being pursued. Global Energy Infrastructure Limited CEO Farrukh Qayyum Saeed said that their company had made partnership with Exxon Mobil, Total, Hoegh, STFA and Mitsubishi to execute the project. This was a 20-year agreement between the two companies and the volume of gas import could be enhanced to 2.3 million tonnes per annum, he said. The government had allowed them to use the Suigas infrastructure and they were in contact with industries, housing colonies and CNG sector to offer their commodity for purchase, he added. The GEIL CEO said under this agreement, they would offer a competitive LNG price as agreed with the government.