Pakistan Observer: Should Pakistan opt for Iran gas?
Now that Prime Minister’s Nawaz Sharif’s reconciliatory visit to Iran has yielded extremely productive results, a natural question about the Iran Gas Pipeline, arise as to whether it deserved to be revisited?
In my own and in the opinion of many an expert, the Iranian offer, pending since long, need a fresh look. Even cursory glance would convince anyone that the Qatar Gas, which the Pakistan government has been looking at as an alternate, after pressure from America to avoid dealings with Iran, has been four times costly. Qatar has is quoting 80 cents to a unit, while Iranian offer been one-fourth of it.
Figures collected from internet and gas company websites, show that Iranian gas is in use since long to the tune of 40 billion dollars by China, 15 billion dollars by India, 20 billion dollars by Turkey. India is almost an ally to US and Turkey is NATO member, why then they were exempted from sanctions threatened for Pakistan.
The answer is simple. America applies pressure to countries where it could succeed. But maintains a double standard simultaneously for countries, refusing to heed to his tactics.
Pakistan unfortunately wilted under pressure and put off a beneficial project to replenish its vitally needed energy needs. Turkmenistan exports gas worth 8 billion dollars to Iran, 15 billion dollars to Russia, and 30 billion dollars to China. MORE