ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan has welcomed the nuclear deal which has made history, in a move that Islamabad hopes will help remove Western sanctions against doing business with Tehran, the biggest obstacle in hindering the overall completion of multi-billion dollar Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, sources stated.
“Pakistan welcomes the important comprehensive nuclear agreement reached between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the P5+1,” said Foreign Office spokesperson Qazi Khalilullah, hours after the historic agreement.
The P5+1 refers to the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council – the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia – plus Germany.
Within hours of the deal’s announcement, a discussion was underway in a Senate panel in Islamabad about how the deal would affect ‘economic ties with Pakistan’.
At a meeting of the Senate Special Committee on Gas Infrastructure Implementation, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi sounded an optimistic note about the project with the expectation of sanctions being lifted against Tehran.
“It is our international commitment that we will connect the gas pipeline with Iran. From the Gwadar side we have already started it. With the [expected] relaxation of sanctions, both [Pakistan and Iran] will conclude work on the gas pipeline,” said Abbasi.
