Iran's Consul-General in Peshawar Hassan Darvishwand stressed the need for both Tehran and Islamabad to pave the ground for the rapid expedition of the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline, reminding that the project is highly beneficial to both nations.
“The project has been initiated by signing agreement with the former PPP government. Iran has almost completed the laying of the pipeline on its side but the work on it has been delayed on Pakistani side,” the Iranian diplomat said during the ‘Guest Hour Program’, Dawn reported.
The envoy went on to say that Iran was optimistic that Pakistan would complete the project in line with the agreement, which would be beneficial for both countries and their people.
Pakistan desperately needs to import natural gas from Iran to resolve its loadshedding challenge.
Iran has already built its 900-kilometer share of the pipeline on its own soil and is waiting for the 700-kilometer Pakistani side of the pipeline to be built.
Iran and Pakistan signed an agreement over the construction of a gas pipeline in 1995. Later, Iran made a proposal to extend the pipeline from Pakistan into India. In February 1999, an accord between Iran and India was signed.
But due to the US pressure, India withdrew from the project in 2009.