Promising pipeline

PML-N opted to make the country’s energy needs their priority rather than succumbing to the wishes of foreign forces.

The new government’s official announcement on June 12, as part of the Economic Plan for the coming fiscal year, that the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline will not be scrapped, is welcome. In recent days, following the change in government, there had been much doubt over the future of a project which promises to deliver much needed energy to Pakistan. Reports that PML-N energy experts had found flaws in the project and, of course, the looming issue of the US and Saudi Arabia, disapproval meant that this venture was in some doubt.



However, the clear-cut assurance that the controversial pipeline would be proceeded with marks both maturity and wisdom by the PML-N government. The previous policies of doing away with major projects begun by preceding governments have, over the decades, inflicted a great deal of harm on the country and are, in many ways, responsible for the quandaries we face today in various sectors. The PML-N then needs to be lauded for its good sense. It has also stated that it hopes gas will start flowing into the country by December this year and that the project would move ahead during this fiscal year. This would, of course, be good news for all of us. The PML-N has brought down the cost of the project to $1.25 billion from the previously agreed amount of $1.5 billion. This, too, shows good thinking.

It is assumed that Mian Nawaz Sharif and his team are prepared to deal with the US pressure that will come their way. In a welcome move, they have obviously opted to make the country’s urgent energy needs their priority rather than succumbing to the wishes of foreign forces. Indeed, keeping in mind the energy shortfall, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project is also being seriously considered. The attention given to the energy sector and the ardent efforts to boost it are to be appreciated. It is good that this need has been put ahead of all other concerns, while devising policies for the future and moving on with initiatives set up for this purpose. We must hope the process continues in the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2013.

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