TEHRAN
A member of the Iranian Parliament’s Energy Commission criticised Pakistan for its repeated delays in commissioning the IP gas pipeline, stressing that the project is no more beneficial to Tehran.
Speaking to FNA on Monday, Jalil Jafari Boneh Khalkhal pointed to long delays in accomplishment of the Pakistani side of the pipeline, and said, “Owing to the existing conditions continuing this project will no more be in the interest of Iran as it has no more economic justification.”
Khalkhal’s remarks came after Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that it was not possible to work on the pipeline due to sanctions against Iran.
The MP noted that although Pakistan is a Muslim country and Iran’s neighbour, it is not complying with its commitments and the experience has shown that it will not pay good money to Iran as it is not ready to pay the costs for the construction of its share of the IP gas pipeline.
Last month, Tehran cautioned Islamabad over falling behind schedule in fulfilling its obligations with regard to a multi-billion-dollar pipeline project that would take natural gas from Iran to Pakistan.
Iran has already built 900 kilometres of the pipeline on its soil and is waiting for the 700-kilometer Pakistani side of the pipeline to be constructed.
The IP pipeline is designed to help Pakistan overcome its growing energy needs at a time when the country of over 180 million people is grappling with serious energy shortages.
