Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline To Be Likely Completed By 2014: FM

Islamabad, Jan 17, IRNA – Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Monday reiterated government's commitment in the parliament to go ahead on Pakistan Iran Gas Pipeline Project and said the project is likely to be completed by the year 2014. 'The Pakistan Iran Gas Pipeline Project is in national interest and the government has decided to fast track on it,' she said replying to a calling attention notice in the National Assembly, Lower House of the Parliament. 'The project will help meet Pakistan's energy deficit to a great extent. The feasibility work has been completed and the government is trying hard to start work on this vital project as soon as possible,' the minister added. She brushed aside the apprehensions that the US sanctions on Iran would affect the Project saying, 'these sanctions are primarily related to oil and not gas.' Some sanctions on Iran, she said were emanating from the UN, which were mandatory to follow. While, unilateral sanctions such as those imposed by the US and European Union were not obligatory to follow. Hina Rabbani Khar said that Pakistan was working on the project in accordance with the schedule and given deadline. To a query she said that initially India was part of the project, but later it pulled out of it (project) either due to some pressure or other reasons. 'But Pakistan despite all the things decided to go ahead on the project as it is in our national interest,' she added. Opposition lawmakers Muhammad Barjes Tahir, Raja Muhammad Asad Khan, Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, Begum Ishrat Ashraf and Khalida Mansoor, in their calling attention notice wanted a policy statement from the government about the pipeline./end