As of February 2026, the Pakistani government has implemented a significant increase in the gas levy for off-grid captive power plants, now set at Rs. 1,243 per million British thermal units (mmbtu) for December 2025. This adjustment is part of a broader strategy to generate Rs. 105 billion in revenue for the fiscal year 2025-2026, aimed at reducing electricity tariffs for consumers, excluding lifeline users. However, the Pakistan Textile Council (PTC) has criticized this levy, describing it as a 'policy shock' to the export economy. The council highlighted that the levy has escalated dramatically from Rs. 402 per mmbtu to Rs. 1,243 per mmbtu within months, with a built-in 20% escalation mechanism, significantly raising costs for export-oriented industries. PTC Chairman Fawad Anwar warned that this measure threatens to undermine the government's goal of achieving $60 billion in exports under the Uraan Pakistan initiative, as it has already led to a collapse in gas demand from the export sector and operational challenges for gas utilities due to curtailed domestic supply and diverted LNG cargoes.