ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Wednesday that there were multiple sources available for funding the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline and that a Chinese bank's decision to back off from funding the project will not affect plans to import gas from the neighbouring country.
“There are multiple sources available and this is fairly a very viable project,” Khar told reporters at a joint news conference with her Swedish counterpart Carl Bildt in Islamabad.
Khar brushed aside the impression that the Chinese decision would affect the country’s plan to import gas from neighboring Iran. Pakistan is pursuing the project despite mounting US pressure to abandon the project.
Parliamentary review of US ties
The foreign minister insisted that the government’s decision to rewrite terms of engagement with the US, NATO and ISAF will expand cooperation with international players instead of contracting it.
“We hope that the world will respect the new terms of engagement,” she said, adding that Pakistan wanted to assist western forces stationed in Afghanistan with a smooth exit from the war-torn country.
Khar pointed out that Pakistan and the west had "convergence" on the issue of Afghanistan, but the area of difference was the "tools" being used to achieve the ending objective.
Pakistan seeks justice for US killing in Kandhar
The foreign minister strongly condemned the killing of 16 Afghan civilians including children by a US solider in Afghanistan. “We condemn this act in the strongest possible terms and we want that the person responsible for this must be brought to justice,” she said.
The Swedish foreign minister, whose country is also part of the ISAF, expressed his “deepest regret”’ over the incident.
“We hope this will not affect the overall policy in Afghanistan,” he said.
Pakistan-Sweden bilateral ties
Khar said Pakistan and Sweden have decided to double the existing volume of bilateral trade from $450 million to $900 million by 2014.
The Swedish foreign minister said his country endorsed Pakistan’s position that trade, not aid was the solution to the problem.
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@ dear country mates: Please do not take all political talk on it's face value, as this seems more of a pre-election political stint from the foreign minister. Moreover, there are more serious ways of sourcing energy to our country. I hope this issue turns out good for Pakistan.
@ to all indian friends : guys n gals, chill out...... you people of the great country, I fail to understand, the fact, that, how is this myopia helping you & your country, other than fuelling the self inflicting beliefs. I am surprised, you can think of prospering, with your neighbouring country in abyss. How on earth can india prosper, if Pakistan is a mess. I would strongly suggest, you to all to think of competing & winning from the world, instead of trying to win from Pakistan. Pakistan & India, if they have to prosper, can only do so, by being close allies of each other. Just remember, one of the strongest points, we both have in common are the similarity in our populace at every level, which provides a very strong reason for synergizing our efforts for the collective benefit & reap upon each others strengths. We have been fools to have fought 3 battles, as both of us have been the biggest losers, with the U.S, RUSSIAN & the arms suppliers from Britain the biggest winners.
I am sure all of us, are wise enough to choose the right course of action for ourselves & our future generations.
It is a funny marriage of convenience between a communal country and a communist country. Pakistan needs to understand that it needs its own legs to stand and not stand on the crutches provided by China. Pakistan will do better if it looks at its neighbours as friends.There is no ideologoligal commonality between Pak and China. By its Anti-India policies it has nothing to gain.
Moneys best friend is.... MONEY!! China will not give a penny, unless it can take its pound of flesh. Unfortunately pakistan has been so naive all last 60 years. All weather friendship, higher than mountains, deeper than seas.... seems so platonic!! Ha Ha ha Ha. the chinese will have the last laugh!
@maestro: please take our indian polititians and put them in your prisons! Solitary confinement and dont you dare give them biryani! Bread and water! And then all investigations would be conducted in a fair manner! And one more thing. Send Imran Khan, Ms Khar and people like them on frequent trips to India please!
@Bala: Bala I sadly agree with you there! Yes I remember the food for oil programme. It destroyed Iraq. Now we should have gold for oil. I'm sure the sanctions are coming India's way too. How dare we insult the dollar!
@vasan: Dear Vasan, a parliamentary Pak team has arrived in India today to gather first hand evidence of the Mumbai massacre so that the 7 arrested here can be fully and legally charged - we also have a court system here that needs soild evidence before convicting people. How about you convict the perpetrators of the samjhauta express blast that burned 60 Pakistanis alive by a standing Indian army officer Mr high and mighty? Where is his and everyone else involved in that massacre's punishment eh??
Maybe Dawood Ibrahim is one of the sources?
False Bravado. Enough money to build bombs to blow things up but no funds to build anything but still the empty, false bravado won't go.
If you are not ready to stand on you feet you will see Harsh consequences after change of USA and Pakistan relationship. Be ready for other countries saying that they have stopped making Parts required to run your factories, agriculture sector, automotive industry and defense related equipment. It has happened before 3 decades back when Japan told Pak Army they have stopped making Toyota Jeeps parts If you are united, you can fight the whole world but sadly now things have changed. :(
We need to understand basics like. "United we stand, divided we fall".
We have to encourage local industry to groom. We need skilled worker. We have to bring revolution in education sector. Education is Must! To me only hope for Pakistan lies in Education - starting from basic (Primary) and move on to vocational training.
@Dr Priyanka
Priyanka...the sanctions we Indians faced were walk in the park, compared to the ones imposed on Iran by US/EU or on Iraq. Iranian sanctions are barbarian..just look up how Iraq sanctions killed millions of children in Iraq of food starvation in wikipedia
Hina knows very well that Pakistan will not go for this line even China economy can't afford sanctions, so I guess you guys got my point.
Pak-Cheen Doosti Zindabad
Had Pakistan not spent billions of dollars on the nuclear toys, it could have partly financed on its own for this project.
Huh? Other sources of financing? Where? And lets suppose that Pakistan somehow manages to get funding for the pipeline. What's to stop Iran from turning off the supply of gas when it disagrees with Pakistan on Afghan issues. After all, the two countries have been competing for influence in Afghanistan for decades. Pakistan needs to stop preening itself like a vain schoolgirl just because Iran showers it with attention. Time to wake up and see Iran for what it really is - an unreliable trading partner who is only sticking around because its been rejected by the rest of the world.
Is it winter for the all-weather friend?
Indeed there is. The best option is to repartriate money stolen by ex-generals, ploiticians back to Pakistan. There is probably enough stolen moeny to build a few pipelines. With Swedish help, it should easy Ms. Khar.
We Indians don't give a damn about any sanctions because we are used to them! Remember US had imposed sanctions on India and you were given aid. We know how to handle USA but you have been ditched by your cho cute chini friend.
I don't see gas pipe line future both for Pak and Ind. No company wants to get black listed not just by US but possibly by UN as well since UN might be imposing further sanctions on Iran in nearby future.
@Raj-USA
Unfortunately you don't have the money to pay for that either -- on the bright side some attorney will argue that you have a legitimate force majeure perhaps tied to the UN sanctions which should keep the issue tied up in courts for the next 20 yrs.
@Cautious: We shll now wait for Iran to claim damages from Pakistan. According to the agreement with Iran stipulates that Pakistan has to pay damages to Iran if Pakistan does not complete the fasibility studies by 2012 (or may be 2013, I am not sure).
Yeah people of Pakistan want this job to be completed
@Abdul Siddique:
samjhauta express suspects are in jail and not holding political rallies against pakistan
Anyone want to bet that Pakistan hasn't even completed the long overdue economic analysis which one has to perform BEFORE they get financing? Pakistan makes decisions based on emotion while bankers make decisions based on economics. Much of the hullabaloo over the IP is that it will resolve Pakistan's energy crisis -- but the reality is that there is amply Worldwide energy you just don't have the money to buy it. . You don't have the money to currently buy energy on the open market, don't have the money to build the pipeline and related infrastructure - and the elephant in the room you constantly ignore is that you don't even have the money to pay for the gas once the pipeline is built.
They say Afghanistan is been used as tool. But for world, Pakistan has always been used as tool by USA, China...not coz USA/China wanted to but Pakistan himself let them use itself as tool. They are emotional and can get easily carried away. Grow up Guys. They've never learned one thing - bank upon yourself and never on others.
I want this pipeline to be build at whatsoever cost or concerns
Words are cheap
@Vasan: We are waiting for justice against Hindu terrorists behind Samjauta bombing. Actions are louder than words
Barter system will rock... It will also not force any financial institution to breach US sanctions!! Trade wheat and other commodities for gas!!!!!!
Enough with the talks! please Pakistan for once gets started!
Taller than Himalayas and deeper than Pacific friendship... an all weather friend has ditched Pakistan deep down under Indian Ocean.... No free Lunches is the name of the game... Multiple sources are ???? Taleban ??? TTP ??? Punjabi taliban ?? ISI ?? All the best !!!
Does she mean War on terror fund or pending Osama Bin Laden property rent?
Could you please show/ manage/ arrange those resources before Elections? or its just a stunt?
way to gooooooooooo
“We condemn this act in the strongest possible terms and we want that the person responsible for this must be brought to justice,” she said Ms Foreign minister : I wish u would say the same thing about the Mumbai mayhem and prove it in your deeds instead of shallow words.
It is all talk for local consumption. Mr Putin, during his visit later this year, will also refuse to fund this pipeline. Even if the pipeline is build remember what happened to Ukraine and Poland gas was turned off for non payment.