The Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline ILLUSTRATION: JAMAL KHURSHID
The project, which will cost Pakistan $1.5 billion, must therefore be welcomed wholeheartedly. It could, and should, prove crucial for the future of our country. Indeed, perhaps it should have been put in place sooner given the losses we have suffered in so many forms as a result of the energy shortfall which has continued for years. But even beyond this, there are reasons to celebrate with the two presidents who jointly raised their hands at the inauguration ceremony. The pipeline helps re-establish Pakistan’s sovereignty at a time when it stands badly dented. It also shows that Pakistan is willing to put its own interests ahead of all others, as indeed it should, and stand tall despite the pressures exerted by Washington. For this, the president and the government deserve credit. They have demonstrated that we are capable of putting ourselves first when making decisions.
The signing of the pipeline deal is also important for reasons beyond this. For one, it binds the region closer together — and such regional cooperation is vital for development and for progress in several areas. Islamabad and Tehran have shown that they understand this and as such, the pipeline deal could usher in cooperation in other areas binding nations closer together, thereby making it more possible for them to put the needs of their people at the very top of the priority list.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 13th, 2013.
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Now everybody should understand why the US supported military dictators not the secular democracy in Pakistan. You can buy one man but not the whole legislature. Remember the Turkish Parliament did not allow the US and NATO to use its bases to invade Iraq? Even though Turkey is a NATO member.
Next project would be improving Trans-Asian Railway links.
The Americans keep telling us to buy energy from India. They tell us their 900MW projects are better solutions than the several thousand offered by this project. I'd rather buy energy from Iran than to give India a stranglehold over our energy needs. Better to support a dictator in Iran than to get pushed into the hands of your arch-enemy. I never voted PPP, but I stand with Zardari as he tells the US that Pakistanis must care for Pakistan's interests more than Americas.
Build the pipeline to help the nation - it's a no brainer. Why even discuss somehting so obvious to helping Pakistan in its current state? If Zardari starts it, he will go down in the nation's history as the one fellow who did more than anyone else bY putting Pakistan first before other interests and resolving the energy crisis. 9 years of Musharraf dictatorship will seem like nothing to 5 years of PPP rule and the support for democracy can only go up. A dictator could do nothing to resolve the energy crisis but a politician can - that's what everyone will remember!
Pak-Iran Pipe dream.
Interesting Editorial. I suppose when you don't know how much something cost or how your going to pay for it you resort to platitudes like "regional cooperation" and "putting Pakistan first". But I would argue the this Editor like every other Pakistani Editor has gone out of his/her way to avoid asking even basic questions about the IP and hasn't a clue whether this is a good thing for Pakistan or not. . It's past time some responsible journalist ask some basic questions about the IP. What's it actually going to cost (one day it's $7.5 Billion the next it's $1.5 Billion), how are you going to pay for it, how is the pipeline going to be secured from terrorist and how much is that security going to cost, and how are you going to pay for the gas. Why can't you buy LNG vs IP and if LNG is more expensive how much more expensive? If the LNG deals fall through because you don't have money to buy the gas how are you gong to come up with the Billions for a pipeline or the gas within the pipeline? What is the expected fall out if the American's and their European allies decide to stop buying Pakistani products or otherwise place an economic embargo on Pakistan - hows that weigh against making a 40% dent in Pakistan's energy shortage? How is a no bid contract with the Iranian's going to pass muster if/when the SC get's around to reviewing this deal? Why has no economic analysis been performed? The list of unasked questions goes on and on. . Pakistan got into it's energy crisis because no one bothered to ask questions or do appropriate planning -- maybe it's time for a change.
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Mr. Editor. I agree with most of your comments except that it should have happened 2-3 years ago. PPP Govt.should have sponsored and owned the pipeline, seeing it through duiring its tenure. Zardari is a clever politician who is now betting that the pipeline will earn popular support for the coming election. If PPP wiins he can say to the Iranians that the pipelne was "just an agreement and not versus of the Koran" and delay it or set-aside. If PPP loses then the pipeline becomes a hot potato thrown into the lap of the next Goverment. The next 2 years are crucial for Americans to withraw from Afghanistan and they are likely to make a lot of noise and do nothing more fearing closure of their exit route. So it will be interesting times to live in.