"News item published in The News titled 'Govt couldn't purchase gas cargoes in time, admits Tarin' is completely misleading and out of the context," read a press statement issued by the finance ministry.
The statement clarified that when an anchor asked the adviser to the prime minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin about the gas shortfall situation in the country, he stated the reasons, including the ongoing global LNG shortages, which have created a fiasco, and said it not in anybody's control.
The government had been buying gas as required, despite higher international prices, he said and mentioned that one tender was scrapped in July, but this had nothing to do with winter gas supply. The finance adviser had not mentioned at any point that winter gas shortfalls were due to non-procurement of LNG on time, the statement added.
It is also clarified that very little LNG was diverted to domestic consumers because of the high price differential and the gas shortages which the country faces every winter are due to the depletion of local gas fields.