ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday directed the Petroleum Division to devise and submit a comprehensive plan for putting an end to the gas theft in the country, causing a whooping annual loss of Rs 50 billion to the national exchequer. The premier while chairing a briefing at the Prime Minister’s Office also sought a comprehensive plan of action with delineated time-lines to be submitted at the earliest to address the issues pertaining to the oil and gas sector of the country. The meeting, attended by the Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Additional Secretary Petroleum Division Mian Asad Hayaud Din and senior government officers, was briefed by the additional secretary in detail, about the existing situation vis-à-vis demand and supply of the oil and gas sector. The prime minister was also apprised of the progress on the ongoing construction of the Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) and Pakistan-Iran gas pipelines along with other ongoing major projects to meet the growing energy needs of the country. The secretary also highlighted various issues, including rationalisation of the sale price of gas, recovery of receivables, non implementation and frequent altering of policies that led to erosion of investors’ confidence and non-awarding of exploration blocks over the past five years. Published in Daily Times, September 5th 2018.