Despite repeated explosions causing fatalities across Pakistan, the Law Ministry has delayed approval of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority’s (OGRA) LPG Industry Amendment Bill for two years.
The bill proposes strict penalties, including 10 years of imprisonment and a Rs10 million fine for violations. For incidents involving liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder or browser blasts, it recommends 14 years in prison and a Rs15 million fine.
According to LPG industry officials, multiple letters have been sent to the Law Ministry urging action, but the ministry has yet to move on the matter. The draft was submitted two years ago and remains pending.
The LPG Distributors Association of Pakistan, in a letter to the prime minister, said the current legal framework fails to ensure safety. Existing laws impose negligible penalties, leaving illegal practices unchecked.
The association also raised concerns over the continued delay and called on Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar to take immediate action. It warned that if the bill is not tabled in Parliament soon, protests will follow.
Frequent incidents, including the mixing of CO2 in LPG, continue to go unpunished. In a video statement, Association Chairman Irfan Khokhar said two explosions and four deaths occur daily due to the issue. He noted that over 36 letters have been sent to various government bodies, including the Law Ministry.
Khokhar cited several deadly incidents, including a bowser explosion in DG Khan and multiple casualties in Hyderabad last year. He said five people recently died in an LPG explosion in Lahore.
He called for immediate approval and implementation of the bill, with a nationwide ban on the manufacture and sale of substandard LPG cylinders, bowsers and valves.
