Pakistan Has Not Given Up on Gas Pipeline Project, Says Iran

Dismissing reports that Pakistan has given up on the gas pipeline project, a senior Iranian energy official said Islamabad is firm on receiving gas through the pipeline.

“Islamabad has never given up purchasing Iranian gas,” Managing Director of the National Iranian Gas Exports Company (NIGEC) Alireza Kameli said on Sunday, reported Press TV.

Recent LNG deal between Qatar and Pakistan gave rise to speculation that Islamabad might have abandoned the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.

“LNG imports will not answer Pakistan’s demands and the country is naturally considering other options such as gas imports through the TAPI pipeline,” Kameli said.

Referring to the advantages of IP to TAPI pipeline, NIGC chief said that due to the length of TAPI, price of its gas will be higher for Pakistan than to import it from Iran.

Iran has already built 900 km length of the pipeline on its territory while Pakistan still has to start work on the pipeline that would traverse its territory.

Pakistan’s Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has also said the country’s LNG deal with Qatar did not dispense with the Iran project. Abbasi has said the import of gas from Iran through a pipeline was the best option.