Deal on gas pipeline

ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to your editorial of June 15 titled ‘Deal on gas pipeline’. The planned gas pipeline from Iran will be crucial for Pakistan’s development, especially taking into account the recent off-shore exploration for oil and gas in Pakistani waters which ended in failure and the fact that Pakistan’s total gas reserves, with the current usage rate and growth of consumption, will run out by 2020.

One more suggestion for the pipeline would be to include China instead of India. Since Iran is now mired in its own political and strategic games with regard to the US, and also since China is closer to Pakistan than Iran in terms of friendship, it only makes sense if China is also included.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2010.