Threat to Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline

[Veeru]

Threat to Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline

By Syed Fazl-e-Haider

By pressing Pakistan to shelve IP project, Washington can deprive Iran of the economic bonanza associated with its gas exports to Pakistan, India or China through pipelines, as without Pakistan’s participation, all the proposed pipeline projects from Iran via Pakistan, whether it be the IP, IPI or IPC (Iran-Pakistan-China) would not be feasible. - File photo



The recent surge in target killings of Hazara community is apparently an attempt to subvert the move for building Iran-Pakistan and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India energy pipelines.

Currently, Islamabad and Tehran are undertaking their gas pipeline project despite the US opposition and without India’s participation.

The attacks on Hazara community have been stepped up since Islamabad and Tehran committed to expedite efforts to implement the $7.5 billion IP gas pipeline project, the greater part of which will traverse the restive Balochistan province. In the latest sectarian attack this month, at least 14 Hazara people were dragged out from a bus, lined up and shot dead in Quetta.

This was the third attack after two major attacks on Hazaras last month in which at least 42 people were killed.

All the attacks have been claimed by militant outfit, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which, many believe, has close association with Jundallah group, a Sunni Muslim militant group fighting for the rights of Baloch population of Iran’s Sistan-Balochistan province, bordering Balochistan.

Instead of IP pipeline, the US has supported the construction of an alternative pipeline from Central Asia through Afghanistan to Pakistan and the Indian Ocean. Iran accuses the US of supporting Jundallah, which is believed to have bases somewhere in Balochistan.

So far, Jundallah has been involved in launching terror attacks in Sistan-Balochistan. Now Lashkar-e-Jhangvi is emerging as a new destabilising factor in Balochistan, where from the IP pipeline will make its first entry into Pakistan.

They intend to scare away potential investors in the IP pipeline.

A surge in Hazars’ killings came in the backdrop of US-Pakistan energy dialogue and Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission (JEC) talks held in Islamabad last month and in both talks, the IP gas pipeline project was key agenda item.

Washington hardened its opposition to IP project and warned Pakistan of the possible impact of US and UN sanctions against Iran during the two-day US*-Pakistan strategic dialogue on energy last month. The US instead offered Pakistan the assistance in TAPI gas pipeline project as alternate to IP pipeline.

Islamabad and Tehran signed a $7.5 billion agreement in Tehran on May 23, 2009, finalising the deal to transfer gas from Iran to Pakistan Exactly after five days on May 28, 2009, Iran closed its border with Pakistan following a suicide bomber attack on a mosque in Zahidan that killed 20 people. Jundallah had claimed responsibility for the blast. The diplomatic tension between the two countries mounted at a time when there was no outstanding issue impeding the project for laying a gas pipeline between the two countries.

By pressing Pakistan to shelve IP project, Washington can deprive Iran of the economic bonanza associated with its gas exports to Pakistan, India or China through pipelines, as without Pakistan’s participation, all the proposed pipeline projects from Iran via Pakistan, whether it be the IP, IPI or IPC (Iran-Pakistan-China) would not be feasible.

Threat to Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline | Magazines | DAWN.COM

 

[r3alist]

What right do the Americans have to block the ip or ipi pipelines??

This is surely an infringement in basic human rights and the un charter?

They preach about humanitarian intervention in Libya, but block the rights of others to peacefully grow.

 

[bubble123]

Well we are in severe infact very very severe energy crisis. Virtually everything in our country runs on gas.

 

[pmukherjee]

Bad move by the US.

I can not say if the targeted killings in Baluchistan of minorities are engineered by the Americans as the article seems to suggest. The LeJ and the SSP have been killing minorities as a part of their ideology for some time now and link to the IP need not necessarily exist. However, it is correct that the US wants to strangle Iran economically and weaken it to a level where a military victory over Iran will be a walkover. It worked for Iraq or so the logic goes. India has friendly ties with Iran and we are a major importer of Iranian oil. India should not permit US pressure to undermine our energy security.

Yes, India had to drop out of the IPI but the prime reason for that was security concerns over depending on a pipeline that passes over 1000 KMs of volatile and terrorist infested countryside where the supplies could be interrupted at any time and especially so in times of conflict. the TIP also suffers from the same disadvantages. The undersea pipeline project for obtaining Iranian gas through Oman is far more feasible and reliable, even though the initial costs would be very high. I fully support this project. Under no circumstances should we permit the US to jeopardise it.

 

[INDTAM]

somewhere in this forum Pakistanis bad mouthed Indians to be scared of USA for backing from IPI pipeline.
Well ain't trying to be smart but like it or not USA has good influence in our (INDIAN & PAKISTAN) foreign policies.

 

[Veeru]

Bad move by the US.

I can not say if the targeted killings in Baluchistan of minorities are engineered by the Americans as the article seems to suggest. The LeJ and the SSP have been killing minorities as a part of their ideology for some time now and link to the IP need not necessarily exist. However, it is correct that the US wants to strangle Iran economically and weaken it to a level where a military victory over Iran will be a walkover. It worked for Iraq or so the logic goes. India has friendly ties with Iran and we are a major importer of Iranian oil. India should not permit US pressure to undermine our energy security.

Yes, India had to drop out of the IPI but the prime reason for that was security concerns over depending on a pipeline that passes over 1000 KMs of volatile and terrorist infested countryside where the supplies could be interrupted at any time and especially so in times of conflict. the TIP also suffers from the same disadvantages. The undersea pipeline project for obtaining Iranian gas through Oman is far more feasible and reliable, even though the initial costs would be very high. I fully support this project. Under no circumstances should we permit the US to jeopardise it.

If really its a plan by US then its a master stroke. US is known for aiding hostile elements, separatists, extremists any one which suits their goal.

And i think china is afraid to step into Baluchistan for the reason of violence. Gwadar port or gas pipelines etc. all will not materialize till both the freedom movement/separation/terrorism reaches its logical conclusion.

And chinese will loose their interest in pakistan.

 

[pmukherjee]

somewhere in this forum Pakistanis bad mouthed Indians to be scared of USA for backing from IPI pipeline.
Well ain't trying to be smart but like it or not USA has good influence in our (INDIAN & PAKISTAN) foreign policies.

1. Since when have internet warriors been running foreign policies of nations?
2. Correction, the US has a strong influence on the foreign policies of most countries. Very few are actually immune to pervasive US influence, that is why they are the superpower. But there are ways of working around these issues. That is what diplomacy is all about.

 

[Donatello]

US and it's cronies.


Nothing new.

 

[INDTAM]

1. Since when have internet warriors been running foreign policies of nations?
2. Correction, the US has a strong influence on the foreign policies of most countries. Very few are actually immune to pervasive US influence, that is why they are the superpower. But there are ways of working around these issues. That is what diplomacy is all about.

So why did we back down IPI pipeline and also defaulted on payment for oil that we received from Iran.
If diplomacy is everything then why vote against Iran in UN???
I am not saying we are slaves to them but they do interfere in some of our foreign policies.

and please avoid using such words internet warriors - thank you

 

[pmukherjee]

If really its a plan by US then its a master stroke. US is known for aiding hostile elements, separatists, extremists any one which suits their goal.

And i think china is afraid to step into Baluchistan for the reason of violence. Gwadar port or gas pipelines etc. all will not materialize till both the freedom movement/separation/terrorism reaches its logical conclusion.

And chinese will loose their interest in pakistan.

It is too hypothetical and too convoluted a link if at all there is one. CIA >> Jandallah >> LeJ >> Hazaras killed in Baluchistan >> investors are scared away. Theoretically any thing is possible but you have to see that the predominant ideology of the LeJ is to rid Pakistan of non Sunnis. They have been doing their dirty work even before the IP pipeline deal.

Yes to your second point. No one wants to buy into instability. But these LeJ/SSP guys can be tackled by a determined Pakistani government. TTP is a far graver threat. I think that Iranian gas flowing into Pakistan will be a reality in not too distant a future. Beyond that to China, it is also a matter of geography and seismology that will determine the outcome.

 

[longbrained]

The rational for the article is wrong. As I had explained it earlier, this is not about Iran as much it is about Pakistan. Iran will be able to live comfortably if this pipe line is not built. They might lose a few billion dollars which is very small compared to the size of Iran's economy. But for Pakistan this pipe line is vital. Without it Pakistan's energy problems will only get worsen day by day until Pakistan's economy collapses. Either US wants to harm Pakistan actually and Iran is just an excuse here or that to just minimally punish Iran, United States is ready to permanently damage Pakistan on the way.

 

[pmukherjee]

So why did we back down IPI pipeline and also defaulted on payment for oil that we received from Iran.
If diplomacy is everything then why vote against Iran in UN???
I am not saying we are slaves to them but they do interfere in some of our foreign policies.

and please avoid using such words internet warriors - thank you

Buddy, you already know why we backed out of IPI and it was not Uncle Sam. it was because we did not want to invest huge sums of money on a pipeline which could be blown up any time and non state actors blamed for the same. And my friend, what happens in the case of another conflict with Pakistan? Don't tell me that the nuclear weapons on both sides have made war redundant, remember Kargil? Does Pakistan continue to let gas flow into India in case of a war? Are you prepared to be blackmailed thus - If you retaliate, we shut down your gas? Where the hell did America come into all this, it was purely a security concern my friend.

Why did we vote against Iran? My friend, even China and Russia voted against Iran in that vote. These countries are much more powerful than India and they have a really independent foreign policy which we hope to have some day.

I used the word internet warriors because that is what most of us are, just wannabe soldiers, that is all. Playing our Patriot Games online. It was not directed at you. You appeared to be so demoralised by some people saying something which you did not like. Don't let them get to you. Get your facts correct and reasoning in order and ignore the background clutter created by internet warriors.

 

[Drawn_Sword_of_God]

one beautiful day someone is going to take revenge against the US. i hope ill live to see that day
US is not boss of the world

 

[longbrained]

one beautiful day someone is going to take revenge against the US. i hope ill live to see that day
US is not boss of the world

No need for any revenge. Zionists are already doing that. They have enslaved American children for another century.

 

[INDTAM]

Buddy, you already know why we backed out of IPI and it was not Uncle Sam. it was because we did not want to invest huge sums of money on a pipeline which could be blown up any time and non state actors blamed for the same. And my friend, what happens in the case of another conflict with Pakistan? Don't tell me that the nuclear weapons on both sides have made war redundant, remember Kargil? Does Pakistan continue to let gas flow into India in case of a war? Are you prepared to be blackmailed thus - If you retaliate, we shut down your gas? Where the hell did America come into all this, it was purely a security concern my friend.

Why did we vote against Iran? My friend, even China and Russia voted against Iran in that vote. These countries are much more powerful than India and they have a really independent foreign policy which we hope to have some day.

I used the word internet warriors because that is what most of us are, just wannabe soldiers, that is all. Playing our Patriot Games online. It was not directed at you. You appeared to be so demoralised by some people saying something which you did not like. Don't let them get to you. Get your facts correct and reasoning in order and ignore the background clutter created by internet warriors.

I didn't ask What Russia and China did i asked why did India do it weren't we the one to form NAM!!!
We didn't do it in the past why now???? Did Iran threaten us or Proliferated Nuclear tech to enemy nations or did they send terrorist here?

and what about the delay in payments for oil????

If I am wrong in thinking so then you may also be wrong in thinking India is totally immune from USA's influence