Pakistan says it will go ahead with the planned gas pipeline project with Iran at all costs and won't drop the project under U.S. pressure. Pakistani officials have submitted a non-paper to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to highlight the importance of the multi-billion-dollar plan for their country.
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| President Asif Ali Zardari meets Iran's new President Hassan Rohani in Tehran Zardari was in Tehran to attend Rohani's inauguration ceremony |
U.S. Secretary of state John Kerry during his recent visit to Islamabad warned the Pakistani authorities about the likely implications of pursuing the Iran gas pipeline project.
However, Pakistan has rejected the U.S. concerns and handed over a 'non-paper' to Kerry defending its decision to go ahead with the project. Pakistan officially confirmed the development.
The Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline was signed by the country's former ruling party led by President Asif Ali Zardari earlier this year. The first deliveries of natural gas are expected by the end of 2014.
The Iran gas pipeline is seen as crucial for Pakistan to meet its growing energy demands.
The government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already made it clear that addressing the country's longstanding energy problem will be its top priority.
The United States has long been threatening Pakistan to impose economic sanctions if it goes ahead with the Iran gas pipeline project. But the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has no plans to reverse the decision of the previous administration, which signed the historic deal with Iran.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/lvjcepe
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