US not objecting Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline deal

Pakistani Federal Minister for Petroleum Naveed Qamar has declared that the US has no objection to an agreement between Iran and Pakistan to build a natural gas pipeline.

The minister told reporters on Wednesday that a technical agreement between Iran and Pakistan would be signed before February 15 when a gas deal between the two countries would expire, Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on Thursday.

“I had a meeting with officials of the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the US ambassador and they had no objection to the project,” Qamar said.

The Pakistani minister’s remarks come amid reports that the US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke had earlier urged Islamabad to avoid the deal with Iran.

Holbrooke had said the US would help Pakistan secure liquefied natural gas supplies, should it abandon the planned gas deal with Iran, UPI reported.