Pakistan is among the Asian countries hardest hit by the disruptions to liquefied natural gas supplies triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The crisis, stemming from the conflict that has pitted Iran, the United States and Israel against each other since February 2026, has reshaped global energy flows and exposed the vulnerability of countries heavily dependent on LNG imports. For Islamabad, the response increasingly — and more concretely than ever — runs through nuclear energy.
The picture emerges from the report The Outlook for Gas and LNG Markets in Asia, published by Gastech Conferences at its 54th annual event. The document notes that Qatar and the United Arab Emirates account for roughly 99% of Pakistan’s LNG imports, used primarily for power generation, fertiliser production and industrial activity. LNG represents around 30% of the country’s total gas supply. With the Strait of Hormuz blocked, Pakistan was forced to source cargoes on the spot market, paying as much as $20.70 per MMBtu — the highest price in four years — while Asian LNG prices more than doubled compared to pre-crisis levels.
In response, the Pakistani government has accelerated its shift toward domestic energy sources. In August 2026, 72% of electricity generation came from within the country: hydropower, local coal, nuclear energy, domestic gas, wind and solar. The remaining 28% continued to rely on imported coal and regasified LNG. The Ministry of Energy estimated that this pivot to domestic sources saved roughly $38 million in additional costs in a single month. Nuclear energy played a tangible role in that calculation.
The Gastech report highlights that the supply disruptions have pushed Islamabad to place greater emphasis on coal, hydropower and nuclear energy, as LNG price volatility and shipping uncertainty make import dependence increasingly unreliable. Wood Mackenzie estimates that Gulf LNG exports could fall by 6.5 million tonnes per month in the event of a prolonged strait closure, while S&P Global Energy has already cut its global LNG supply forecasts by around 35 million tonnes — equivalent to nearly 500 cargoes. On top of that, a potential transit fee of $2 million per passage could add approximately $0.50 per MMBtu to the cost of each shipment.
The report urges Asian economies to diversify their energy mix by investing in storage capacity, strategic fuel reserves and gas storage infrastructure. For Pakistan, these recommendations come at a time when some private operators are already in talks over deals to build storage facilities in the country. The crisis has made clear that excessive reliance on a single supply corridor is a systemic risk.
If the Strait of Hormuz crisis has had one lasting effect, it has been to give weight to an argument Pakistan’s nuclear sector has been making for years: no imported energy source can match the stability of a domestic reactor. The question is no longer whether to diversify, but how quickly to do it.
