ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik told the Senate that sanctions remain the main obstacle preventing Pakistan from moving ahead with practical work on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.
The issue came under discussion during a Senate session chaired by Presiding Officer Shahadat Awan, where Senator Talha Mahmood moved a calling-attention notice over the prolonged delay in the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline and the country’s gas shortage.
Senator Talha Mahmood said the project had been delayed for nearly two decades despite Iran completing significant work on its side of the pipeline.
He said Iran had laid the pipeline up to Pakistan’s border and questioned whether Pakistan would be ready to receive Iranian gas once sanctions were lifted.
The senator asked how much preparation Pakistan had completed on its side and whether Iranian gas could immediately be injected into the national system if restrictions were removed.
He also sought details on how long it would take to make the pipeline operational after sanctions were lifted.
Talha Mahmood further questioned whether Pakistan had completed the infrastructure required to receive Iranian gas and how much practical progress had been made on the project.
Responding to the calling-attention notice, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said sanctions were currently in place and, because of those restrictions, Pakistan was not taking practical steps on the project.
He said Pakistan and Iran were working in a friendly environment to find a mutually acceptable solution to the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline issue.
The minister said the government was trying to resolve the matter in Pakistan’s national interest.
According to Malik, Iran had already completed substantial work on its side of the pipeline and had supplied gas up to the Pars region, but Pakistan had been unable to make corresponding progress because of sanctions.
He also told the Senate that Iran had taken the matter to an arbitration court in Paris.
The minister said both countries were working towards a solution that would be acceptable to both sides.
He added that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a steering committee on the Iran gas pipeline project. The committee includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the Attorney General and the petroleum minister himself.
Ali Pervaiz Malik said legal proceedings related to the pipeline remained a major issue and that the government would continue examining the legal aspects in an effort to find a solution.
The petroleum minister also told the Senate that the profits of oil marketing companies were expected to be lower this year compared with last year.
He said detailed information about the profits of oil marketing companies was maintained by the Ministry of Finance.
Also Read: Punjab to Set Up FMD-Free Zone Along Motorway Corridor
Today's E-Paper