The US has not removed sanctions on companies that seek to do business with or invest in Iran’s oil and gas sector. It is these sanctions that form the primary impediment to the Iran-Pakistan pipeline and the timing for their removal has yet to be even hinted at. Pakistan’s attorney general has suggested that a US-based international law firm should be engaged to evaluate the project before it starts and his suggestion should be followed. We should be careful of the imposition of US sanctions as they could be followed by similar treatment by European countries — a fate we can ill-afford. It is good that the government appears aware of the paradigm-altering consequences of the rapprochement between Washington and Tehran and we are especially glad that it is so enthusiastic about a project that is very openly opposed by Saudi Arabia. The Iran-Pakistan pipeline looks more possible now than in the past. Let us not blow our chance at completing it by being careless about it.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 4th, 2013.
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Iran- pakistan pipeline was basically conceived FOR INDIA. Because of HUGE INDIAN CONSUMPTION. Without roping in INDIA, the project would not have a faster breakeven. Since India has a lot of security issues and is forseeable out of this project, it remains to be seen if at all it is viable at all as, consumption of gas in pakistan is not matured enough to sustain/start long
Now world is turning into industry and for industry Pakistan has not sufficient energy resources. If we want to attract foreign investors so that economic condition of Pakistan could be improved, we will have to focus on providing energy and power to industry, otherwise foreign tours to attract business community will be wastage of time and resources. We have the opportunity to get energy from Iran we should make ground to gain it, instead of being a battle field of proxy wars between regional rivals. our national interest must be the top priority
All conflicts get resolved eventually - so will the Iran/USA dispute. I suggest you spend the time to actually figure out whether the IP deal makes economic sense - to this date I have never read anything that indicates that anyone knows the fully loaded cost of Iranian gas or how that compares to other alternatives. Might make for an insightful article for an enterprising journalist.