Pakistan FM vows to implement Iran gas pipeline project despite U.S. warning

[Creder]

Suck on that U.S.

Pakistan FM vows to implement Iran gas pipeline project despite U.S. warning​

ISLAMABAD, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Sunday defended the 7.5 billion-U.S.-dollar gas pipeline with Iran and said Islamabad will take the project forward despite sanctions on Iran.

Qureshi's comments came hours after U.S. Special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke warned Pakistan against the pipeline intended to bring the much-needed natural gas to the energy starved country.

Pakistan and Iran formally signed the deal in Tehran on June 13, under which Iran will supply Pakistan with natural gas from mid- 2014.

"The gas pipeline project with Iran is in Pakistan's interests, " the Pakistani Foreign Minister told a news conference in the city of Multan in Punjab.

Qureshi said that Pakistani experts are of the opinion that sanctions on Iran will not affect gas pipeline project as it is a bilateral agreement and both countries have already finalized the deal.

He said that gas pipeline deal with Iran will not violate international laws, adding Pakistan will focus on its interests without violating international laws.

The Pakistani Foreign Minister said that the visiting U.S envoy Richard Holbrooke also remained silent when he was asked about the Iran gas pipeline deal on Saturday.

He said sanctions on Iran have not been imposed for the first time and that the Islamic republic had also been slapped with curbs three times before. He added that it is fourth time that Iran has been sanctioned, adding that if these sanctions have been imposed under chapter 7 of the UN then all UN members will apply and Pakistan will respect it like other countries.

The pipeline was initially mooted to carry gas from Iran to Pakistan and on to India. India withdrew from negotiations last year after signing a nuclear deal with the United States, but has kept open the option of rejoining the project at a later stage.

Iran will export more than 21 million cubic metres (742 million cubic feet) of natural gas daily, according to the deal.

Meanwhile Iranian ambassador in Islamabad Mash' Allah Shakeri has said the multi-billion Iran gas pipeline has enhanced Pakistan ' s strategic importance, particularly in relation to India.

"In addition to the added economic value of billions of dollars, the Iran gas pipeline agreement has boosted the strategic value of Pakistan in the region. If there is any third country recipient, they have to recognize that Pakistan is going to provide a peaceful passage," Shakeri told Express Television in an interview.

 

[SpArK]

No objection to Pak-Iran pipeline deal: Holbrooke
By Online / Sumera Khan
June 20, 2010


No objection to Pak-Iran pipeline deal: Holbrooke – The Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke has said his country has no objection to the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project.

“Pakistan is facing an energy crisis. The US has no objection to the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project as it is an internal matter of Islamabad,” Holbrooke said at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday as they emerged out of a meeting between chairpersons of the US-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue at the Foreign Office.

Holbrooke went on to say that Pakistan was a great country and it had assumed vital significance all over the world. The entire world had acknowledged the unparalleled sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war on terror, he added.

“But it doesn’t mean that we’ve reached the end of the road. This is a tough, long struggle and much more needs to be done,” he said.

Referring to the sectoral dialogue, he said, “We are discussing real policy issues and how to work together to advance our common agenda”.

“This was the first time we have discussed water issues with Pakistan in such detail. Having provincial and federal water experts working together is essential to overcome Pakistan’s water scarcity issue,” he added. Responding to a question regarding development of Pakistan’s economy, he said, “We have discussed efforts to advance through Congress the Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (RoZ) legislation.”

He said Pakistan’s efforts to advance measures on labour rights and inspections for these ROZs also figured in the discussion.

“We also discussed efforts to promote business opportunities for Pakistani textile and apparel manufacturers. I am pleased to announce that the US will support Pakistani producers at a major trade show in New York, being held from July 13 to 15,” he said.

Holbrooke said, “We want to give the US business community a chance to learn that Pakistan is open for business, and we want to help you showcase the quality of your great Pakistani products.”

On trust deficit, he said Pakistan is most important ally in the war on terror and that we’ll never leave it alone in difficulties. He said terrorism is our common enemy and Pakistan had to face more losses as compared to any country.

Asked whom he would hold responsible if al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and Afghan Taliban chief Mullah Omar were hiding somewhere along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Holbrooke said: “Many of their associates have been apprehended or killed. Even though these two people … are still at large, they are under intense pressure.”

Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the ongoing Pak-US strategic dialogue will be completed by July 9. He said seven rounds of dialogue have been undertaken while US secretary of state Hillary Clinton will visit Pakistan in July to kick off the second phase.

Holbrooke favoured bilateral engagement in the energy sector and said, “We only announced our initiatives on energy nine months ago when Clinton was here in October. Now the progress and measures put in place since Prime Minister Gilani convened your energy summit in April are clear”. He went on to note that power cuts have decreased in the urban areas “and we have seen a clear government commitment to put energy on a more solid financial footing”.

 

[Creder]

No objection to Pak-Iran pipeline deal: Holbrooke – The Express Tribune
.

The Associated Press: US envoy cautions Pakistan over Iran gas deal

 

[SpArK]

The Associated Press: US envoy cautions Pakistan over Iran gas deal

So creder which one we have to believe???


No objection to Pak-Iran gasline: US | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

 

[Markus]

I personally think Iran-Pakistan should have had established this pipeline long back ago, maybe in the 90's itself.

 

[Creder]

So creder which one we have to believe???


No objection to Pak-Iran gasline: US | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

either way its about frikin time we all get together and say to the US

 

[Justin Joseph]

Pakistan should avoid gas deal with Iran: US

* Holbrooke says new US legislation on Iran’s energy sector may apply to the project and Islamabad should ‘wait and see’
* Reconciliation with Haqqani hard to imagine
* US will remain engaged with Pakistan regardless of what happens in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan should be wary of committing to an Iran-Pakistan natural gas pipeline deal because anticipated US sanctions on Iran could hit Pakistani companies, US Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke said on Sunday.

Talking to foreign journalists, he said Washington wanted Pakistan to “wait and see” what laws would be passed against Iran and only take a decision once the US Congress is done with the new legislation.

In a joint briefing with Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday, Holbrooke had said, “Pakistan is an independent country and the US has no concern over the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project”.

However talking to reporters on Sunday, he said, “Pakistan has an obvious, major energy problem and we are sympathetic to that, but in regards to a specific project, legislation is being prepared that may apply to the project.”

“We caution Pakistanis not to over-commit themselves until we know the legislation,” he added.

The country is plagued by chronic electricity shortages that have led to mass demonstrations and battered the government.

The $7.6 billion natural gas pipeline deal, signed in March, does not directly deal with refined petroleum products and was hailed in both Iran and Pakistan as highly beneficial.

Holbrooke’s tenth trip to Pakistan since his appointment follows a series of working groups this week that are part of the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue, which both countries said would lay the groundwork for a new relationship.

Afghanistan was on the agenda in meetings, Holbrooke said, including discussions on a Pakistani role in talks between the Afghan Taliban and the Kabul government.

But the US does not support Pakistan pushing the Jalaluddin Haqqani network, one of the strongest factions of the Afghan insurgency, into talks with Kabul as Washington sees the group too tightly allied with al Qaeda.

Hard: Holbrooke said it was “hard to see that happening”, referring to the inclusion of the Haqqani network in the potential talks.

“The Pakistanis are trying to deal with this problem, they are well aware of it and even in North Waziristan there is some activity going on, but there is a lot more that could be done if the resources were available,” he said.

The special envoy said the US would remain engaged with Pakistan regardless of what happened in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan matters in and of itself. Whatever happens in Afghanistan, the US cannot turn away from Pakistan again,” he said.

The Daily Times, Pakistan

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Justin Joseph]

US cautions Pakistan over gas deal with Iran

US special envoy Richard Holbrooke has warned Pakistan against committing itself to a gas pipeline project with Iran because of anticipated American sanctions against Tehran.

Mr Holbrooke said Islamabad should wait until it received more details on new US legislation that could affect the multi-billion dollar project.

Iran signed a deal with Pakistan to supply it with natural gas from 2014.

Pakistan says it needs the gas from Iran to ease its growing energy crisis.

The original plan was to carry gas from Iran to Pakistan and then to India, but Delhi withdrew from the project due to differences over prices and transit fees, and also apparently due to pressure from the US.

The US Congress is preparing new legislation which will impose more sanctions on Iran because of concerns over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Mr Holbrooke, who is on a visit to Pakistan, cautioned the country against going ahead with the gas pipeline project.

"We cautioned the Pakistanis to try to see what the (congressional) legislation is before deciding how to proceed because it would be a disaster if... we had a situation develop where an agreement was reached which then triggered something under the law," he said.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that the pipeline deal with Iran did not violate existing sanctions against Iran.


BBC

BBC News - US cautions Pakistan over gas deal with Iran

 

[iron_man]

Pakistan does not have balls to cross USA words.

Entire pakistan game plan changes with just one phone call from white house. IMO.

 

[prototype]

well,let see what happen,now u.s is throwing its hands in two of the much touted deals of pakistan,let see how pak responds

 

[S_O_C_O_M]

Pakistan does not have balls to cross USA words.

Entire pakistan game plan changes with just one phone call from white house. IMO.

you are possibly the most annoying indian on this forum.

 

[PakSher]

Pakistan does not have balls to cross USA words.

Entire pakistan game plan changes with just one phone call from white house. IMO.

Actually the US has opposed the project for many years, but it moved on to the final stage. Regarding the phone calls that happens in India, read the article below:

US expects India to implement Iran sanctions - India - The Times of India

India as we all know is very good at brown nosing.

 

[Hyde]

all done........ nothing can happen now

If US had serious reservations they could have raised their concerns 4-5 months ago or back in 2008. Now its too late IMO

 

[PakSher]

all done........ nothing can happen now

If US had serious reservations they could have raised their concerns 4-5 months ago or back in 2008. Now its too late IMO

Well said. This is the need of the hour. The US Embassy get power all the time. May be we ought to shut their power just like it is done for the industry and average common man and they may wake up to the reality.

 

[iron_man]

I am hearing the same pipeline talks from last 5 years.
I believe there are countless times agreement signed when over pakistan and iran officials meet.

I think not even one meter of pipeline is layed out.

It will not happen unless Uncle Sam gives green signal. IMHO