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US warns Pakistan of sanctions if it pursues gas pipeline deal with Iran

Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline under US threat.
Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline under US threat.

United States has warned of imposing  sanctions against Pakistan if the country pursues $7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.

Islamabad, Aug 5/Nationalturk – In a major setback to Pakistan’s efforts to overcome energy crisis in future, United States has warned of imposing  sanctions against the country if it pursues $7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has said United States has threatened that the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project could invoke sanctions on the country in the future.

US Secretary of State John Kerry recently held discussion with Nawaz Sharif and other Pakistani leaders during his a day-long trip to the country.

Sources said during the meeting with Nawaz, Kerry clearly told him that US was not in favour of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. “He warned Pakistan PM that in case Islamabad continues to pursue gas pipeline deal with Iran, US would impose sanctions on the country”.

US has been opposing the gas pipeline project right from the start. However, Pakistan had been defying US pressure saying the Iran-Pakistan gas-pipeline project was must to overcome energy crisis in the country.

Most of the Pakistan presently faces 18-22 hours load shedding even in the scorching heat of summer.

‘Pakistan presented non-paper on gas pipeline to Kerry’

Pakistan Kashmir Foreign Office spokesperson Aizaz Chaudhry had earlier said that the government had presented a ‘non-paper’ over the Iran pipeline to Kerry, conveying Pakistan’s standpoint that the project was being undertaken to address the country’s acute energy requirements.

On March 11 this year, Iran’s then President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari inaugurated the final construction phase of the gas pipeline.

Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline will enable export of 21.5 million cubic meters (mcm) per day of Iranian natural gas to Pakistan.  Iran has already built 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its soil and is helping to build the 700-kilometer part of the pipeline on the Pakistani side.

The multi-billion-dollar pipeline is designed to help Pakistan overcome its growing energy needs at a time when the country of over 180 million people is grappling with serious energy shortages.

The 2700 km long pipeline was originally intended to supply gas for Pakistan and India, but India has evaded talks.

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Faiz Ahmad / NationalTurk Pakistan News

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2 Comment

  1. This is what western imperialism means in practice: not being able to determine your own country’s foreign and domestic policy but having it dictated by a foreign government.

    Only if Pakistan can rid itself of the comprador class of collaborators in the army and government who rely on the goodwill and largesse of western powers can the country and its people hope to have a government that caters to the needs of its own people.

    The USA may be using issues like this to drive Pakistan into the arms of China and then use the fear of China by India and the enmity between Pakistan and India to create friction and build tension which can then be used to serve US interests, even if this means war between the three countries.

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