Pakistan to Fast Track Iran Gas Pipeline Project

Pakistan and Iran have decided to fast track implementation of the Iran-Pakistan (IP) Gas Pipeline Project and to formulate a road map to address the challenges and have effective coordination and cooperation on the project, Pakistan’s Ministry of foreign Affairs said in a statement Tuesday.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Pakistan and Bijan Namdar Zangeneh, Minister of Petroleum of Iran met at Tehran on Tuesday.

The two parties also agreed to hold a meeting shortly between the experts of both sides to review parameters for accelerating work on IP Gas pipeline, the ministry statement said.

Pakistan extended assurance to fulfil its contractual obligation as the project is of immense importance to meet the energy needs of the country, the ministry said.

The multi-billion dollar pipeline project has been a contentious issue for Pakistan as US is opposed to the project. Reports in the media suggest that US may impose even sanctions on Pakistan if it goes ahead with the pipeline.

In March, Iran and Pakistani inaugurated the final construction phase of the IP gas pipeline, intended to carry natural gas from Iran to its eastern neighbour. Iran has already constructed more than 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its soil.

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