Islamabad should expedite the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project or wait for impending financial punishments, an Iranian source said on Saturday.
“If Pakistan does not revise its behaviour on construction of the peace pipeline, it will be fined based on the bilateral agreement (with Iran),” an informed source, who asked not to be named, said.
He further complained about the slow progress of the pipeline construction, lamenting that no tangible headway had been made in the last four months.
“In this respect, we have decided to issue an ultimatum to Pakistani energy officials warning that if they do not revise this slow trend of pipeline construction, we will put into effect the paragraph in the agreement which pertains to financial penalties,” the source added.
Asked about reasons for Pakistan’s delay in constructing the pipeline, the source said Islamabad claimed to be waiting for results of Iran’s June 14 presidential election, but went on to say that in reality the delay was a result of United States’ (US) pressures.
In March, Iran and Pakistan officially inaugurated the construction phase of the pipeline project on the Pakistani side.
The project kicked off in a ceremony attended by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari at the two countries’ shared border region in Iran’s south-eastern city of Chabahar.
The 2,700 km long pipeline was to supply gas for Pakistan and India which are suffering a lack of energy, but India has evaded talks. In 2011, Iran and Pakistan declared they would finalise the agreement bilaterally if India continued to be absent in the meeting.
According to the project proposal, the pipeline will begin from Iran’s Assalouyeh Energy Zone in the south and stretch over 1,100 km through Iran. In Pakistan, it will pass through Balochistan and Sindh but officials now say the route may be changed if China agrees to the project.
Iran issues Pakistan ultimatum on IP pipeline
