Sources told JEE News that former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has resigned from the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) following differences over the purchase of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Azerbaijan on an intergovernmental basis.
Sources further revealed that Abbasi opposed the purchase of LNG from Azerbaijan through Pakistan LNG Limited (PLL), a state-owned company.
Sources added that the senior politician, who is a member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), was of the view that a private Pakistani company should handle the procurement of LNG cargo from Azerbaijan.
Meanwhile, according to sources, the Petroleum Division had refused to prepare the required summary as directed by Abbasi.
The PML-N leader’s resignation comes after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent visit to Azerbaijan, during which talks were held to increase cooperation in various fields, including the supply of LNG.
Abbasi’s resignation from the ECC highlights the differences of opinion within the government regarding the purchase of LNG from Azerbaijan.
In the meeting between the Prime Minister and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, it was agreed that Azerbaijan will help Pakistan meet its energy needs by providing cooperation in the oil and gas sector.
According to the agreement, Azerbaijan has committed to supply LNG to Pakistan at a discounted price on a monthly basis. Earlier this week, the federal cabinet also approved the agreement.
The statement said that this is Pakistan’s second major achievement in meeting its energy needs after receiving crude oil shipments from Russia recently.
Under the agreement, Pakistan will receive an LNG cargo at concessional rates from next month. According to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Prime Minister has been working on an agreement with Azerbaijan for the past six months.
