TEHRAN (FNA)- Former economic advisor to Pakistani finance minister Sakib Sherani stressed that the problem of fuel shortage has left Islamabad with no other option but expediting the gas pipeline project with Iran."The peace pipeline is close to Pakistan in distance and the project has been completed on the Iranian side of the border; therefore, importing gas from Iran is the best and most economical way to settle the problem of gas shortage," Sherani told FNA on Wednesday.
Warning that Pakistan's energy resources are being terminated, he said Iran has been committed to its undertakings and has completed its share of the pipeline, and lamented that the government of Nawaz Sharif procrastinated the expedition of the Pakistani share of the vitally needed pipeline.
Sherani referred to the Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (also known as TurkmenistanAfghanistanPakistanIndia Pipeline, TAP or TAPI) project, and said TAPI is much longer than the peace pipeline and is not economical.
Iran wants to export its natural gas to Pakistan, India and China through the peace pipeline.
Iran has already built its 900-kilometer share of the pipeline on its own soil and is waiting for the 700-kilometer Pakistani side of the pipeline to be built.
Iran and Pakistan signed an agreement over the construction of a gas pipeline in 1995. Later, Iran made a proposal to extend the pipeline from Pakistan into India. In February 1999, an accord between Iran and India was signed.
But due to the US pressure, India withdrew from the project in 2009, and Islamabad has also delayed accomplishing the project so far.
A Pakistani delegation presided by Oil Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi arrived in Tehran on Monday to discuss expediting the implementation of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline.
The delegation was expected to present new proposals to the Iranian side on the IP gas pipeline.
Abbasi also conferred on the latest developments related to the implementation of the project with his Iranian counterpart Bijan Namdar Zanganeh in Tehran on Tuesday.
By Fars News Agency
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