Tehran, Iran, Dec.3
Trend:
Pakistan is planning to complete the Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline (IP) project, also known as the "Peace Pipeline", to resolve the energy crisis in the country.
"The Pakistani government is intended to complete the IP pipeline agreement that was signed in 2009, but remained incomplete due to some problems," the Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources of Pakistan Ghulam Sarwar Khan told IRNA.
The Iran–Pakistan gas pipeline, also known as the "Peace Pipeline", is a 2,775-kilometer pipeline to deliver around one billion cubic feet/day of natural gas from Iran to Pakistan.
"We believe completing this project would end the energy crisis in the country,” Sarwar Khan said.
The official also noted the invitation from his Iranian counterpart Bijan Zangeneh to visit Iran.
"I would like to visit Tehran to discuss this issue but currently no details has been planned for the meetings,” he said.
An Iranian delegation of technical experts has recently visited Pakistan to discuss the IP pipeline projects.
Sarwar Khan also said that the US sanctions against Iran was a factor that suspended the "Peace Pipeline" project.
In January 2010, the United States asked Pakistan to abandon the pipeline project. If canceling the project, Pakistan would receive assistance from the US for construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal and importing electricity from Tajikistan through Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor.
Despite the fact that Pakistan has signed an agreement to import gas from Iran through the Peace pipeline, and now three years has passed since the deadline set by the treaty, Islamabad has not taken any action to comply with the treaty and to build the pipeline on its soil.