arsenal_gooner
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CANCUN (MEXICO): Pakistan will guarantee safe delivery of Iranian gas to India and security of the proposed $7.4 billion Asian peace pipeline passing through its territory to get New Delhi back on the negotiating table. As a sweetener, Islamabad is willing to consider the option of giving India equity in the project and has sought Indian participation in their forthcoming auction of exploration acreages, a top Pakistani official told TOI on the sidelines of the 12th International Energy Forum here.
"Pakistan will stand guarantee for safe delivery of gas at the Pakistan-India border. We have already built in provisions for such guarantees in the gas transportation agreement we signed with Iran earlier this month. It has been notarised in Paris under international conventions. This should convince India of the sincerity of our offer," additional secretary in Pakistan's ministry of petroleum and natural resources Mohammed Chaudhry Ejaz said here on Tuesday evening.
"The agreements can be legally enforceable in any international court of law. The transit agreement makes us liable for safe supply of gas. We stand 100% committed to ensuring safe transit of gas to India," Ejaz said in reply to a question as to whether Pakistan could be taken at face value and what would stop it from shutting the tap, given the present state of relations between Islamabad and New Delhi. "You have to understand that if something happens to the pipeline, we will equally suffer."
Ejaz, who is handling the project for Pakistan, rebutted the contention that the pipeline will not be viable without India's participation. "There is enough demand in Pakistan. We have a shortage of some 3-3.5 billion cubic feet per day of gas at present and 7-8 hours of power outages. The shortage is projected to increase to 6-7 billion cubic feet per day. We are also importing costly LNG (gas in ships). It is in our interest that the pipeline is safe and we get Iranian gas to generate power and fuel industries."
Ejaz declined to comment on differnences between India and Iran over gas price, saying it was a "bilateral matter". "We will more than welcome India if it decides to come on board. That's why we have already built in all the provisions in our agreements with Iran and also opted for a bigger pipeline capacity to take care of the need for higher volumes once India joins."
He also said Pakistan would welcome equity participation of Indian firms in laying and operating the 780-km pipeline stretch passing through its territory.
India's talks on the pipeline with Iran and Pakistan have been stalled since July 2007. While Tehran has been found vacillating on the pricing issue, New Delhi's concerns over security and safety of supplies through Pakistan have blocked any progress on the bilateral aspect of the project. With diplomatic relations deterirating in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, many believe India is finally out of the deal although it has not said so officially.
Ejaz also used the deficit theory to counter the argument that Pakistan was trying to use the pipeline deal to pressure the US and bargain for a civilian nuclear deal and increased aid. There are some who believe India has been reluctant to make progress on the pipeline under US pressure and dragged its feet when the 123 agreement was being worked out with Washington.
Indian officials attending the IEF meet, however, said the ball is in Iran's court. "We have not boycotted the talks. We have asked Iran for the bilateral joint council meeting. It is for them to indicate a date now," one senior official told TOI.
Safe passage for Iran gas: Pak - India - The Times of India
"Pakistan will stand guarantee for safe delivery of gas at the Pakistan-India border. We have already built in provisions for such guarantees in the gas transportation agreement we signed with Iran earlier this month. It has been notarised in Paris under international conventions. This should convince India of the sincerity of our offer," additional secretary in Pakistan's ministry of petroleum and natural resources Mohammed Chaudhry Ejaz said here on Tuesday evening.
"The agreements can be legally enforceable in any international court of law. The transit agreement makes us liable for safe supply of gas. We stand 100% committed to ensuring safe transit of gas to India," Ejaz said in reply to a question as to whether Pakistan could be taken at face value and what would stop it from shutting the tap, given the present state of relations between Islamabad and New Delhi. "You have to understand that if something happens to the pipeline, we will equally suffer."
Ejaz, who is handling the project for Pakistan, rebutted the contention that the pipeline will not be viable without India's participation. "There is enough demand in Pakistan. We have a shortage of some 3-3.5 billion cubic feet per day of gas at present and 7-8 hours of power outages. The shortage is projected to increase to 6-7 billion cubic feet per day. We are also importing costly LNG (gas in ships). It is in our interest that the pipeline is safe and we get Iranian gas to generate power and fuel industries."
Ejaz declined to comment on differnences between India and Iran over gas price, saying it was a "bilateral matter". "We will more than welcome India if it decides to come on board. That's why we have already built in all the provisions in our agreements with Iran and also opted for a bigger pipeline capacity to take care of the need for higher volumes once India joins."
He also said Pakistan would welcome equity participation of Indian firms in laying and operating the 780-km pipeline stretch passing through its territory.
India's talks on the pipeline with Iran and Pakistan have been stalled since July 2007. While Tehran has been found vacillating on the pricing issue, New Delhi's concerns over security and safety of supplies through Pakistan have blocked any progress on the bilateral aspect of the project. With diplomatic relations deterirating in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, many believe India is finally out of the deal although it has not said so officially.
Ejaz also used the deficit theory to counter the argument that Pakistan was trying to use the pipeline deal to pressure the US and bargain for a civilian nuclear deal and increased aid. There are some who believe India has been reluctant to make progress on the pipeline under US pressure and dragged its feet when the 123 agreement was being worked out with Washington.
Indian officials attending the IEF meet, however, said the ball is in Iran's court. "We have not boycotted the talks. We have asked Iran for the bilateral joint council meeting. It is for them to indicate a date now," one senior official told TOI.
Safe passage for Iran gas: Pak - India - The Times of India
