Sweden opposed Pakistan’s collaboration with Iran because it said that Iran should clarify the reservations posed by the international community over Iran’s nuclear objectives.
The country also said that the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) Pipeline was not workable.
Earlier, a Chinese bank backed off from financing the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project. The ICBC was finalised as the financial advisor through an international competitive bidding.
The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) was reluctant to sign the financial advisor contract despite being the lowest bidder.
The financial advisor was responsible for arranging funds for completing the 800-kilometre-long pipeline, at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion.
According to a contract signed in 2009, Iran will supply 750 million cubic feet of gas per day from South Pars fields to Pakistan.
COMMENTS (47)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
sweden??? and now we have to listen to sweden???where is it??
What Sweden is saying is a sort of frank advice based on their experience . I am not sure about energy need of Sweden and suspect they get a portion of gas consumed from Russia. The ideal thing for Pakistan to do is to put all gas pipelines in the cold storage and think seriously of option available.Solar and wind energy are two sectors that can help Pakistan.Wind and sunny weather are two bounties the country Is blessed with.Many countries around the world are producing substantial quantity of electricity from these two resources.It's cheap ,clean and in abundance.
pakistan is smiling
pakistan is improving and pak iran gas is luck as natural luck for economy. people are growing in pak iran so thats why their cooperation should more grown to change and developed our region.
US pressurizes every one to speak up against Iran. I'm sure US behind this game.
For once I find myself on the same page as rolfcopter
@pakistan politics The same gaddafi who before his death told his people that their country would become like Pakistan if they didn't stop the chaos and equated Pakistan with afghanistan?
Who is Pakistan going to get help from now on? Our sweeter than honey friend china is gone. Arab countries hate Iran and zardai because of his shia faith. West has a clas with Iran. If our government had done better planning when sui gas was discovered this wouldn't have happened.
@Organ of Big Profit: TTP is killing Pakistanis and yet you have not used a single nuke on them They know that you have nukes.
@Pakistan politics: Only time will tell who has to come to the right and truthful path.
Sweden's Population is a Mere 9 Million, It's less than Lahore's!!!!!! Layari' slums in Karachi are about 6 Million people, i.e. 75% of Sweden! Who do we care about Sweden???? Don't they know we have nukes.
@Khan:
not going to say if i think qaddafi was better or not but do u actually believe that the power is in the hands of the libyan ppl now? if u do then ure seriously deluded and are in great need of doing some research...
@well-wisher:
most of this foreign aid went to either their puppets or to their own organizations. either way barely any actually went to the ppl...
@FactCheck:
is ur brain ok? no they're not minding their own business. its got nothing to do with them. u hit it right in the spot. theyre not even part of this deal so yea they should mind their own business.
@ khan
yes electricity i what gas is used for...that and transportation. either way we have an energy crisis and natural gas can be helpful in that regard.
@mujahid
what kind of drugs are u on? they helped us in 1971? please...they didn't do anything. they sent their ships making it seem as if they were going to help us and then when we committed they abandoned us. and yes bombing our ppl is definitely providing hospitality to us. trying to destabilze us and separate us is definitely helping us. spread ur zionist propaganda somewhere else...
@Pakistan politics
I agree that Qaddafi would have probably helped Pakistan.
Just like Pakistan doesn't care that even if her children eat grass, she gets her nukes....
Qaddafi never cared that even if his people lived in penury, he always helped those he believed to be the enemies of USA.
I am not sure about the Swedish connection, as ET has not elaborated.
I get a feeling that Pakistan approached Sweden for financial help.
Can you please explain, ET?
By the way, saying ET again and again makes you sound like an alien.
@o b server: "Iran Pakistan gas pipeline makes more sense compared to TAPI, if you can withstand Uncle Sam’s pressure. India could not!"
India is thelargest buyer of Iran oil and has said it will continue to do so because it is in India's interest. SO the question of not being able to stand up to pressure does not arise.
india backed away from the IP since it was proving o be unviable. Pakistan was unwilling to guarantee securty for the pipeline or agree on penalty clauses if it stopped gas during possible war. Secondly, India has started investing in shale gas technology in a big way so that in the years to come there can be reduced dependence on foreign countries for gas. This is why it backed away from the project not due to US pressure.
@WoW: i still hope ET and some trolls come to the right path
@Khan: u need to do some research , our gas resources can only be used for next 20 years, we haven't yet discovered new resources, if we get gas we will get rid of electricity short fall too as gas will be supplied to all industrial sectors and electricity will only be provided to residential areas
@Khan "Our real problem is electricity", yes Sir it is ! Well Gas is necessary in this regard since the Gas Fired Generation is cheapest option to produce electricity for base load after Coal fired plants. In case of Pakistan, most power plants existing and the ones that will be built new will be combustion plants requiring natural gas as the firing agent. Therefore, to produce electricity, you must have sufficient Gas !
wow, now countries like Sweden who are smaller in GDP than Pakistan (check wikipedia) will also interfere in our matters? I am amazed.
There is a time to implement the project. We have already wasted lot of time in formalizing and developing the project. By implementing this project not only Pakistan and Iran will come together but also in future Pakistan can earn lot of money by supplying gas through this route to India. My personal opinion is that if any one come in front to finance this project he will be appreciated by Pakistani nation and government. Because Pakistan is facing huge energy crisis at this time and this project will help to solve these problems
@FactCheck: thanks for the courtesy dude! had they been around their business, this lame comment wouldn't have been posted here at ET
@Pakistan politics: FYI, I have never watched Fox or Sky in my life ... so if Qadaffi was such a great leader then why didn't he bother to get elected via electoral system as that is the only viable solution to know if your people indeed are supporting you .. Few thousand people waving your portrait doesn't mean the whole country supports you .. You can see from every political jalsas in Pakistan of PPP, ANP, PML and PTI etc which draws hundred thousand people but that doesn't mean they are supported by all population. Who was Qaddafi to rule that country for decades .. As I said earlier I live in London and know how his son was living here on the money they looted from Libyan Oil which belonged to that nation not individuals. If he was so lovable character then millions of Libyan would have taken up guns to protect him and would not be hiding like rates in holes. Mr Musharraf has done alot for this country too but that doesn't mean he had a right to be president of this country.
Pakistan spent the foreign aid received amounting to billions of dollars on nuclear toys estimated to be around 120, which are of no use but only provide false sense of security to the country. Had this collosal amount of money spent on gas and generation of electricity, the country would not have been in such a dismal state.
There will be a huge media campaign as usual plus Shia Sunni killings in Pakistan plus further destabilization in Baluchistan…they will do everything to ,stop this pipe….we should do everything to get is operational.
and the 'we will keep doing stuff even if our people have to eat grass' policy continues.
Iran Pakistan gas pipeline makes more sense compared to TAPI, if you can withstand Uncle Sam's pressure. India could not!
@vasan: Totally agree with you there must be alternate sources of energy and viewpoint.
@Khan: actually u believe in what fox and sky feeds you. u dont know what Gaddafi did for his people and us (Pakistan) watch it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DawvDXiay3o and read it http://707monty.blogspot.com/2011/09/no-one-from-pro-rebelslibya-can-answer.html
We are Islam first nation. No gas, no problem, we have Islam, Blasphemy, Mullahs, Nuclear weapons, JUD, LET, Supreme Court, Mehrangate, Swiss Bank Accounts, All-weather friends, Friends in borders, Holy books, foreign funded Madrasas. Other countries are envy on us.
@Pakistan politics: And who do you believe the? Defa E Pakistan dudes ? or do you only believe in conspiracies instead of actual facts. Simple logic tells us that Libya belongs to its own people who should elect their leaders to rule it .. It was not property of Mr Qaddafi or his family, who looted it with both hands and both feet. If you know the family you will never back them .. Please do some research on his son who used to live here in London. Besides don't forget what they did to us in early 2000s, If I quote Musharraf from one of his televised address in which he referred to Qaddafi and said "boxes bhar bhar ke proof deyi Pakistan ke khilaf". Also I don't know why people are so obsessed with GAS pipeline when our real problem is Electricity.
who is MR SWEDEN. . . . . NON OF HIS BUSSINNESS
What are the points in favour of IP pipeline 1. Pakistan needs it to cover up its gas shortage 2. Iran may offer sweet deals considering the current situation
What are the points against IP pipeline 1. US, the godfather,benefactor,nonNato ally of Pakistan opposes it 2. Because of US, many countries will not come to the support 3. Funding is extremely difficult now that china is about to pull out 4. Since India is not in the scene, no revenue to Pakistan in the form of transit fee 5. Who will provide the technology 6. Russia indicated some sweet deals but doubtful about the finalization 7. Security situation in Balochistan will make the pipeline very costly to protect and fix the damages due to the frequent expected explosions 8. Iran may hike the fees once the pressure on it eases 9. Iran may blackmail Pakistan to get its way thru in Afganistan if and when Pakistan becomes dependant on the gas 10. How will Pak raise the money to pay for the gas, Only alternative is barter system which makes it even costlier
What are the feasible alternatives ??
You can guess it.
List item
@Uzair Javaid:
You need money and material to build and Swedes are not going to give it. So, they are miniding their own business as you told them.
@Karachiwalal: i feel pity on those whole believe in , CNN, fox, sky, news reporting
We should go full speed with IP project.Diplomacy requires both China & Russia be made stakeholders......
There will be a huge media campaign as usual plus Shia Sunni killings in Pakistan plus further destabilization in Baluchistan...they will do everything to ,stop this pipe....we should do everything to get is operational.
Sweden it seems is still living in the thirty year war period!!!!
Any pipeline becomes a target for terrorist and you don't have the capability to provide protection to either pipeline - the Swede is right on the money.
@Pakistan politics: i wish you had lived and worked under him. Dont worry you can have your other ideal... Bashar Al Assad is still alive why not ask him for help
@Zeta: even if it doesnt make any sense financially? When no one is helping you build it then dont you think we should get people who can think of alternatives rather than give unworkable solutions...
Doubt this deal will ever get finalized under current regime and the prevailing law and order situation of the country.
The gas shortage is a reality and going forward this issue should be taken care of before things blow out of proportions, since gas is the primary fuel for many industries, households and vehicles running on CNG.
Sweden? Really?
if Qaddafi was alive he would have helped Pakistan
Pakistan is suffering shortage of energy, not Sweden. they better mind their own business and deal with iran nuclear case separately.
This country is energy starved and we will do whats best for us.