Iran Has No Obligation Towards Pakistan Over Pipeline

Iran has no obligation to provide two billion dollars in aid for the construction of gas pipeline to Pakistan, Iranian state owned Shana News Agency reported Thursday.

Ali Majedi, who is deputy minister for international affairs and trading, said the Pakistanis are required to resolve the financial problem of the pipeline.

“The Pakistanis claim that they cannot finance the pipeline construction due to the sanctions, but we do not believe in the issue of sanctions because the sanctions have not been tough in the past years,” Shana quoted Majedi as saying.

According to the original agreement between Iran and Pakistan, the first Iranian gas delivery to Pakistan should start by December 31, 2014.

Iran has already built more than 900 kilometers of the pipeline on its own soil and is waiting for the 700-kilometer Pakistani side of the pipeline to be constructed.