"We believe there are better ways and more secure ways, and more cost-efficient ways for Pakistan to get its power,” says Nuland. ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL KHURSHID
“We understand that Pakistan has significant energy needs and requirements, but there are other long-term solutions to Pakistan’s energy needs that we believe will have better potential for success and will better meet Pakistan’s needs than spending scarce resources on projects like this,” US State Department Spokesperson Victoria Nuland told reporters at the daily press briefing on Thursday.
She was responding to a question about press reports that Pakistan will face US sanctions if it went ahead with the IP pipeline project. “Let me just say broadly that we will continue our dialogue with Pakistan with regard to Iran,” Nuland said.
The United States, she added, was involved in many ways to help Pakistan address its energy needs, including ones that will add some 900 megawatts (MW) of power to the grid by 2013, enough power to supply an estimated two million households.
When asked if the proposed gas pipeline with Pakistan comes under the sanctionable items, Nuland said as these are being developed, she is not in a position to make that assessment. “But we believe there are better ways and more secure ways, and more cost-efficient ways for Pakistan to get its power,” she added.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 23rd, 2013.
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