Sanctions on Iran holding up work on IP pipeline, Senate told

Opposition lawmakers protest against tabling of ordinance

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has made all necessary preparations for the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, however, work on the mega project is held up because of international sanctions imposed on Tehran, Energy Minister Omar Ayub told the Senate on Friday.

Responding to a question about the pipeline, the minister said that Pakistan has completed the work on bank study, route survey, engineering and land acquisition and has obtained no-objection certificates from the environment protection departments of Sindh and Balochistan.

“There is an agreement between Pakistan and Iran to complete the project in five years,” the minister told the house during the Question Hour. However, he added, because of the international sanctions on Iran, the work on the project is held-up.



Responding to another question, Ayub suggested talks between the Centre and the provinces on the issue of gas distribution. “The solution to the issue [gas distribution] lies in the Article 158 of the Constitution,” he said.

Ayub informed the lawmakers that average production cost of electricity was Rs10.92 per unit in Pakistan, whereas, the consumers were charged Rs15.53 per unit. “By 2025, the tariff will be brought down by improving the energy mix.”

During the session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister moved an ordinance relating to the women’s right to property. However, the opposition protested at the tabling of the ordinance. “Why the government is misleading us by moving ordinances,” PPP’s Sherry Rehman asked.

Opposition Leader Raja Zafarul Haq of the PML-N termed amendments to the ordinance a joke. “I don’t understand why the president issues ordinance on every piece of paper sent to him by the government,” he said.



PML-N’s Mushahidullah Khan also criticised the government and in the same vein, he slammed the government’s ally—the MQM-Pakistan. MQM-P’s Barrister Saif protested against Mushahidullah Khan’s remarks, which led to heated exchanges between the two senators.

However, the chair admonished both of them to keep quiet. Leader of the House Shibli Faraz said that the house should not be held hostage to the parliamentary party leaders. “Backbenchers should also be given a chance,” he said.

Deputy Chairman Saleem Mandviwala, who was chairing the session, ruled for the removal of the food director in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who reportedly misbehaved with Senator Aurangzeb Khan. He directed the establishment secretary to implement his ruling and submit the report.

Mir Hasil Bizaenjo said that the US had alleged that blacklisted companies had been given contracts of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. “We have seen clarification from China but not from the Pakistani government [on these allegations],” he said.



He demanded that the prime minister must give a clarification about the US allegations. The government must clarify that the CPEC was not being rolled back, he said.

Faraz said that it was wrong to suggest that “we are moving away from China and towards America”, adding: “We have to maintain good relations with every country. Our relations with every country are based on national interests.”

He added that China stood by Pakistan in every difficult situation. As a state, we should stand by our friends. We cannot stop anyone from commenting but “this reply, will make it clear, what our national interest is”, he stressed. Later the session was adjourned until Monday.