Pakistan reaffirms resolve on Iran gas pipeline in spite of US

Despite repeated US objections, Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf says Islamabad is determined to proceed with the implementation of a pipeline project carrying Iranian gas to Pakistan.

“Pakistan is facing a serious energy crisis and we want to end it as soon as possible,” Ashraf told reporters on Saturday.

Ashraf made the comments after US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland warned Pakistan that, “We believe there are better, more secure and more efficient ways for Pakistan to get its power. We’ve made clear to countries around the world, including Pakistan, that we believe it’s in their interest to avoid activities that could be prohibited by UN sanctions or that could be ‘sanctionable’ under US law.”

Asim Hussain, an advisor to the Pakistani prime minister on petroleum and natural resources, said on Friday that President Asif Ali Zardari would pay a visit to Tehran in the near future to finalize the deal on the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.

The Pakistani official also stated that the project would be inaugurated as scheduled in December 2014.

On February 20, an Iranian-Pakistani consortium started the construction of the Pakistani section of the pipeline, which would carry Iran’s natural gas to its eastern neighbor. The pipeline stretches from the border between the two countries to Navabshah region in Pakistan, and covers 781 kilometers of its total length of 1,881 kilometers.

Washington has repeatedly voiced its discontent with the joint project, but Pakistan has constantly dismissed rumors that it might pull out of the project amid efforts by the United States to convince the country to abandon the pipeline.

The pipeline, projected to cost about USD 1.2-1.5 billion, would enable the export of 21.5 million cubic meters of Iran’s natural gas to Pakistan on a daily basis. Iran has already built more than 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its soil.