Saudi Arabia Persuades Pakistan to Abandon Iran-Pakistan Pipeline

[lem34]

When it is a matter of national interest Pakistan has and can say no to Arabs. Take the example of Shamsi airbase. Pakistanis asked Americans to leave. Arabs asked us to continue allowing Americans they were told no. This pipeline is a red line for Pakistan if we can ignore threats of US sanctions we can ignore Sauds. In any event the pipeline has started. But having said that there is no question that Arabs do not have influence with Pakistan they are a friendly Muslim nation. But we cannot be expected to sell Pakistan to America cos they are American allies



Russia to Finance IP Pipeline Project

Media reports in Pakistan said Saturday that Russia has agreed in-principle to extend financial and technical aid to Pakistan for the $1.5 billion Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.

A report in Express Tribune said that a sub-committee of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) – which met to review the progress of IP gas pipeline project – was informed that Russia had agreed to extend financial and technical support for the project.

Talks between the two countries were recently held in Moscow, and Russia will respond formally to Pakistan within a fortnight.

The newspaper quoted Secretary Petroleum Ijaz Chaudhry as saying that a Pakistani delegation had given a presentation to Russian authorities in Moscow over the length of the pipeline, gas volume and financing required for project.

The project has entered its implementation phase, and work on front-end engineering and design, feasibility, and a detailed route survey is already underway.

http://www.naturalgasasia.com/russia-to-finance-ip-pipeline-project-5140

 

[KS]

that does not mean you're allies...it means in this cause your have the same objectives.

LOL..the world has better business than 'weakening' Pakistan.

Anyway relationships are not built on one issue agendas.

Tomorrow if Taliban ,supported by Pakistan, take over Afg it will be only Iran and India that will aid the Northern Alliance against them..so then what..you become anti-pakistan ?

 

[IndoUS]

you guys need to stop indians using chahbahr, than we will see if the anti pakistan alliance doesnt include iran

Why would India stop using it when Iran and India jointly funded the construction of the port. If you guys have a problem then build better ties with Iran. India has no problem with the Iranians, India and Iran have good relationship, build your own instead of getting a butt sore about it.

 

[lem34]

We have endlessly discussed on the following thread Pakistan's interest.

http://www.defence.pk/forums/strate...-ties-between-pak-russia-china-iran-cars.html

There are two visions for our neighbourhood in regards oil pipe lines the American silk road, which would allow American corporations to skim profits the only alternative is the Putin pipeline plans.

American plans are favoured by Indians and India acts as a proxy.

Iran China Pakistan all favour Putin's plan.

Whichever plan moves forward Pakistan is essential because of it's geo strategic location.

imo that is why Putin is coming to Pakistan his first trip as President will be to Pakistan. Gazprom is looking at financing Pakistani leg of IP pipeline which India and or China may join later

 

[KS]

American plans are favoured by Indians and India acts as a proxy.

Correction - Indian plans are favored by everybody.

We dont believe in zero-sum relationships unlike our western neighbour where to be a friend of someone, you gotto be the enemy of other.

 

[Desert Fox]

I did not say Pakistanis hate shia, I never came across a single pakistanis here in the UK who ever said anything bad about shia or Iran. matter of fact they support Iran as much as we do!
I am talking about those trouble causers who pay terrorists to cause chaos in your nation.

the saudi+usa+israel+India all want a weak pakistan.
I see pakistan as a brother nation.

Thanks bro, a strong and friendly Iran and stable Afghanistan is in Pakistan's interest. Ignore the hateful comments of a few so called "Pakistanis" who bash Iran and Shia's, it should be obvious where their loyalty lies (certainly not to Pakistan).

but who do you think is behind all the shia being killed?

It should be pretty obvious!

Guess who got caught smuggling guns and explosives into Pakistan to kill innocents:

Saudi Arabians caught in Mohmand - 21May2009 - YouTube

 

[Abii]

^^
these terrorists are everywhere!
From muslim countries to Western countries, all they do is blow **** up.

 

[Desert Fox]

Original title S. Arabia offers help to tide over energy crisis

My tittle Saudi Arabia persuades Pakistan to Abandon Iran Pakistan pipeline. (forgot the Attempt part before persuade)

This tittle will attract more attention.. and in a way its not a lie. Just manipulating the source to add a bit more fun.

Mods if tittle can be fixed it would be greatly appreciated.

Why would you put such a misleading title? If American's couldn't persuade us, how can Saudis?

 

[53fd]

Some members here are still thinking along the lines of "all-weather" alliances. There is no such thing, with any country in the world. No country is stupid to put "all its eggs in one basket", whether that is Pakistan w.r.t Iran vs Saudi Arabia; or w.r.t China vs USA; or any other country. Things don't work like that in international geopolitics. There are no permanent allies or alliances, only mutual interests. Let's not be naive about this.

 

[somebozo]

Iran and pakistan must have friendly relation. we are neighbour and have cultural links.
if saudi arabia does not like it then I suppose they can cry to the usa?

Iranian vision of friendly Pakistan is a country submissive to Persian hegemony and gives their select few a free hand to run.
Which is not acceptable off course.

 

[darkinsky]

^^
these terrorists are everywhere!
From muslim countries to Western countries, all they do is blow **** up.

look friend,you have to stop cursing and lower your tone, or you will get banned again, im not saying that i dont like you but its because of your own good, you will never get banned and unbanned, some time you will get a perma ban if guys get fed up

Iranian vision of friendly Pakistan is a country submissive to Persian hegemony and gives their select few a free hand to run.
Which is not acceptable off course.

i dont think nuclear pakistan can be submissive to anyone exception being USA ofcourse

 

[Abii]

Iranian vision of friendly Pakistan is a country submissive to Persian hegemony and gives their select few a free hand to run.
Which is not acceptable off course.

and what are you doing now? You're an extremist that submits to a foreign ideology.

 

[Luffy 500]

Why is KSA doing this. PAK is building the pipeline in her own strategic interest and that doesn't mean PAK is moving away from
KSA. PAK will always be closer to KSA than Iran. This is childish diplomacy by KSA.

 

[longbrained]

I guess there are some misconceptions here about this pipeline. Let me clear them here for you with facts and figures since those who are against this pipeline can never bring up facts and figures for their side of arguments.

1- Iranian gas is going be cheaper than any other gas we have access for importation including TAPI gas as well as LNG. Though Turkmenistan has offered half of the gas volume that Iran offers at 9% lower price than the Iranian gas but that is not even enough to cover the transit fees to Afghanistan. So at the end the TAPI gas is going to be higher priced than the Iranian gas. Even the Baluchistan government has already agreed that all land required for the transmission of this pipeline will be given for free and thus not even inter-provincial royalty will be paid for the Iran pipe line. For TAPI Afghanistan will never give free pass.

2- Iranian pipeline is going to deliver over 16 billion cubic meters of gas each year only to Pakistan while TAPI can only carry under 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year and some of that even has to be given to Afghanistan and India to be exact over half of it. Both are high pressure underground pipelines placed some 3 or 4 meters underground but by comparison Iran gas pipe line delivers more gas and only to Pakistan.

3- TAPI passes over mountainous regions of Afghanistan and crossed the whole country from north to South. No feasibility studies have ever been done on it. The pipe line has to literally go up and down thousands of mountains. Not even a single engineering study has been done on it. Not even a single meter of it been built. In contrast, the Iran pipe line has been half built and only the Pakistan portion of it remains and its feasibility is proven. It travels over flat land and its geography is simple. So the Iran pipe can be built quicker and with less money.

4- TAPI passes over Afghanistan a region that has not seen peace since the time of Alexander. The pipeline will be periodically hit with traditionally weak Afghan governments unable even to repair it on time. The mountains and harsh weather specially in winter will make the access to repair the pipe ever more difficult. The warlords will have to be bribed from time to time and all kinds of security related issues will make the pipe line fail in its first months. The gas can not be stored and its reliable transmission is vital. Whenever the pipe line explodes in Afghanistan the whole of Pakistan will come to a standstill. With all Indian consulates in Afghanistan the pipe line will turn out to be a monster for Pakistan economy.

5- Pakistan will have to depend on importation of gas and oil since local resources are not going to be enough for our growing population already at 190 million which is to become 360 million by 2050. We will have to import them and that is the only way just like Europe imports them. Iranian option is safe. The life of pipeline is estimated to be over 50 years and Iran has plenty of gas to supply Pakistan through all those 50 years. This can not be said about TAPI.

6- Saudi offer is meaningless. They have offered a "Loan" and an oil delayed payment facility. That is very "generous" of them. Oil is extremely expensive in relation to gas. Infact we are suffering load shedding here because our thermal power plants run on oil they can not afford. So just delaying the payment for 3 months and a paltry loan with hefty interests to be paid by our children is hardly wisdom. We already have enough loans. What we need is a long term solution and that is the Iran pipe line. The Saudi offer is a joke at best. If they were serious they should have offered one and half million barrel of oil delivered to Pakistan for the price of natural gas through pipe line for the next 50 years. Then that would be equal to the amount of energy the Iran gas pipe line carries for the same price for the same duration. Alas, Saudis have joked with us with their offer.

7-Turkemenistan already has China gas projects and does not need Pakistan for them since Pakistan is not in the middle geographically. One good thing about the Iran gas pipe line is that if we extend it to China then there will more cooperation between Pakistan, Iran and China. With TAPI we will have to cooperate with Afghan war lords and Indian politicians. So TAPI is a fail.

8- Natural gas is the future of Pakistan. We are an agri country needing fertilizers which use natural gas as feed stock. The whole of Pakistan's agriculture is fed by natural gas. We need gas for our industries such as cement, steel and textiles. We need gas for cooking and heating homes. And we need gas to run cheap electricity power plants for cheap electricity. Not only that but increasingly our national transport is also becoming reliant on natural gas with Pakistan having the largest number of CNG green vehicles around the world since it is cheaper to run cars and buses on natural gas than on oil. Some comparisons below:

Natural gas transmission costs:

Comparison of electricity generation by different methods:

At the end I must say that without this pipe line our economy will suffer beyond belief and our people will have to start cooking on wood. This pipe line is a strategic level stuff for our country. Not even US or KSA should be allowed to mess with it. It is time we start to tell our true friends from not so true friends.

 

[lem34]

Why is KSA doing this. PAK is building the pipeline in her own strategic interest and that doesn't mean PAK is moving away from
KSA. PAK will always be closer to KSA than Iran. This is childish diplomacy by KSA.

No I think KSA is scared of Americans and has become a tool for Americans. I think the will go against Pakistan along with Americans in time. We have ties with them for some time I would not be surprised if they ask for too much. In any event I dislike the effect they have had on Pakistan so its a good thing