ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting on matters related to the Petroleum Division and directed that exploration of new oil and gas resources be prioritised to conserve valuable foreign exchange spent on petroleum imports. The premier emphasised that looking into domestic energy resources was critical for national economic stability. He also ordered the digitisation of the entire supply chain for the import and domestic utilisation of oil and gas on a priority basis. “With the digitisation of the oil and gas supply chain, smuggling of these products will be effectively curbed, which will ultimately benefit the national exchequer,” the prime minister noted. The meeting was info­rmed that the Oil and Gas Development Comp­any Limited (OGDCL) had discovered significant new oil and gas reservoirs in the Nashpa Block area of Kohat district. The newly discovered re­s­e­rves are expected to yield around 4,100 barrels of oil per day. The meeting was also informed that domestic con­sumers experienced improved gas pressure during the current winter season against last year. Officials said work on RLNG connections had been stepped up, with a target of providing 350,000 new connections by June 2026. The meeting was further told that pipelines for the Sheva and Batani gas fields had been commissioned, while work on the pipeline from the Kot Palak gas field was underway. Chairing a separate mee­ting on economic reforms, the PM highlighted that implementation of the government’s economic governance policies was inevitable. He sou­ght proposals from all relevant ministries sugges­ting practical measures and a comprehensive strategy invo­lving minimal duration. Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2026