Iran, Pakistan close to finalise gas pipeline project: India’s stand unclear

Oct 30: Pakistan and Iran have reflected their commitment to the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project as they move forward today to give the deal a final touch. On Sunday, Iranian Oil Minister's Special Envoy for the pipeline talks Hojjatollah Ghanimifard said final touches to the contract would be given this week.

Irrespective of the fact whether India remains in or out of the project, Pakistan is of the opinion that the deal is the need of Pakistan and it stands committed to it.

This is to be mentioned that the project was negotiated by all the three countries but subsequent to the Indo-US civil nuclear deal India has not shown any interest in the project and did not participate in the rounds of talks going on between Pakistan and Iran on the project despite invitation from Tehran and Pakistan for holding talks on the same.

Pakistan has indicated clearly that it is ready to go ahead with the project even if India keeps itself away from the project.

Several factors are cited behind such cold response of India to the project. One is said to be the pressure from US not to go ahead with the deal with Tehran and another factor is non-agreement on the transit fees with Pakistan. Pakistan says India has not responded to its calls for talks to resolve the issue of transit fees.

On the other hand India is eyeing on the gas from Turkmenistan and Qatar. Indian cabinet had already agreed on the project of supply of gas from Turkmenistan via Afghanistan.

Oil minister told that another link is on cards in collaboration with Turkmenistan Afghanistan and Pakistan and this will not make any impact on the already initiated project of gas pipeline with Iran. But the reality is that India has not taken part in the ongoing talks on the project and does not show any interest in participating in the coming ones.

To meet its domestic demand India hopes to get 40 million standard cubic meters through this pipeline. The idea is not new. This is under consideration for more than a decade.

Oil minister also informed that India’s state as well as private companies are more interested in taking equity stakes in Qatar energy projects. This needs to be highlighted that India had already reached agreements of 7.5 million tones of liquefied natural gas from Qatar for 2009.