Petition Seeks Early Completion Of Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline

Islamabad, Aug 24, IRNA - A petition, seeking the early completion of Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project, has been filed in a Pakistan court, lawyers say. Lawyer Chaudhry Ahmad Masood Gujjar said in his petition at the Lahore High Court, that the IP gas pipeline project is in the interest of both sides. He called on the court to issue directions to the federal government to immediately start work and fulfill all basic requirements to complete Iran-Pakistan gas pipelines project. He also underlined the need to issue the orders to complete IP project within the due time in 2014. The petitioner, who is also member of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, said on May 27 Tehran had written a letter to the Pakistani government, expressing its concerns over delay on work by the Pakistani side. The Petitioner stated that Pakistan and Iran had initiated the project of laying 780-kilometer pipelines in parts of Pakistan before December 2014. The inaugural ceremony was held on March 11, 2013 in the presence of President Asif Ali Zardari and then Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He said the project was in line with national interest and it would also create new job opportunities in Sindh and Balochistan provinces. He stated that instead of completing this project, now the work had been stopped. He alleged that “under the pressure of certain Persian gulf states and the US” newly elected government intended to shelf the project. He stated that the US involvement in Pakistan’s internal affairs was breach of its sovereignty, adding that the government should not bow to such demands. He called on the federal government to fulfill all basic requirements to complete the project./end