There is no documentary evidence in the petroleum division of Russian offer of cheap LNG, crude oil and POL products as repeatedly claimed by former premier Imran Khan.
This was stated by Syed Zakria Ali Shah, Joint Secretary of Development and a spokesman for the Petroleum Division while talking to this reporter.
The Petroleum Division had also written a letter to the foreign affairs ministry asking if Russia had offered any discounted tariff on LNG and fuel products. To this effect, he said, it had also sent two reminders in the first week of April 2022, but the ministry said it didn’t receive any letter from Russia for dialogue in this regard.
Sources at the petroleum division claimed trade of crude oil, POL products and LNG was not even on agenda during Imran Khan’s had discussed the import of LNG, but there was no mention in the minutes of the meeting of any Russian offer of providing LNG and fuel at 30 percent discounted rate.
The spokesman said the government had written letters to Russia on March 30 through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with reference to February 2022, a visit of a Pakistan delegation mentioning Pakistan’s keenness to enter long-term agreements on the import of crude, POL products and LNG at concessional rates.
