Iran Gas Pipeline Project: FPCCI Urges Gov't To Initiate Serious Efforts

Islamabad, Dec 28, IRNA -- The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has called upon the government to initiate serious efforts on all fronts so that Iran gas pipeline project could be constructed, a media report said on Friday. The government should use all possible resources to tame energy crisis , Business Recorder quoted FPCCI President Zubair Ahmed Malik as saying. He said that Pakistan is the only country where power plants are being run on natural gas despite its deficiency. He said that Pakistan's future is tied to Iranian gas. We should stop digging own grave before it is too late, he warned. The FPCCI chief said that politicians have decided to remain undecided on critical issues of national importance which is leading us nowhere. Iran and Pakistan officially inaugurated the construction phase of a gas pipeline project in March, which is due to take Irans rich gas reserves to the energy-hungry South Asian nation. The project kicked off in a ceremony attended by former Iranian President and his former Pakistani counterpart at the two countries shared border region in Irans South-eastern city of Chabahar. Under the project, Pakistan will import 750 million cubic feet of gas per day (mmcfd) with an option to increase it to one billion cubic feet. Of the import, the Balochistan government seeks to consume 250 mmcfd at the Gwadar Port, which may encourage the central government to purchase more from Iran to meet needs of the least developed province./end