Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan says the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project provides the sole window of opportunity for his country to solve its energy shortage.

 

The pipeline project to transfer Iran's gas to Pakistan is essential to resolve Islamabad’s energy crisis and it will play a leading role in developing industries and creating jobs for generations to come, Awan said on Monday.

 

She added that Pakistan would make utmost efforts to implement the vital project and resist against any foreign pressure regarding the issue, IRNA reported.

 

The minister emphasized that Islamabad has expressed its full support for the implementation of the IP project.

 

Awan’s remarks came after Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said his government would go ahead with the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, stressing that his country is committed to the implementation of regional projects, including Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) and the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline projects.

 

Energy-hungry Pakistan is looking to increase its fuel imports from various sources, including Iran, to reduce power shortages that have crippled the country’s industries and shaved percentage points off its GDP growth.

 

In addition to importing oil from Iran, Islamabad has been in talks with Tehran over the construction of a gas pipeline which is to transfer Iranian natural gas to Pakistan.

 

The multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline aims to export a daily amount of 21.5 million cubic meters (or 7.8 billion cubic meters per year) of the Iranian natural gas to Pakistan.

 

The maximum daily gas transfer capacity of the 56-inch pipeline which runs over 900 km of Iran's soil from Asalouyeh in Bushehr Province to the city of Iranshahr in Sistan and Baluchestan Province has been given at 110 million cubic meters. 

 

(Source: Press TV)