Pipeline to be functional by December 2014

Committee resolves to expedite project.

KARACHI: The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline will initiate gas flow by December 2014, according to Federal Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Naveed Qamar. The minister said this while addressing a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee’s steering committee here on Friday.

According to an official release, the committee will meet on a quarterly basis to ensure speedy approvals from the government and obtain financing for the project through public-private partnerships.

“Some international companies have expressed interest in financing the project and also in its construction,” an official source privy to the meeting told The Express Tribune. “However, no decisions have been made with regard to awarding this deal to any company so far.”

Participants acknowledged that the project has faced delays due to which timelines have been squeezed. However, they expressed resolve that the transnational pipeline will be established by the targeted date towards the end of 2014.

In addition to the minister, the meeting was attended by Federal Finance Secretary Dr Waqar Masood, Federal Petroleum Secretary Imtiaz Qazi and Inter-state Gas Systems Managing Director Hilal Raza.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 1^st, 2011.