Iranian Delegation in Pakistan for Gas Pipeline Talks

An Iranian parliamentary delegation is in Pakistan for follow up talks on the construction of Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, Fars News Agency reported Tuesday.

Mohammad Hassan Asafari, member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission discussed the gas pipeline project with Pakistani Senator Nosrat Sadeq.

Sadeq said Pakistan will expedite the construction of pipeline on its soil, especially now that Iran and the world powers have struck a final deal, Fars News reported.

In February, Pakistani Commerce Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan said that Pakistan had not abandoned the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.

“A gas pipeline that is going to be laid from Gwadar to Nawabshah can be extended by 11 kilometers to Iran,” Khan said.

The Iran-Pakistan pipeline project has been much delayed due to western sanctions imposed on Tehran. As per the agreement between the two nations signed in 2009, the first flow of gas to Pakistan should have started by Dec 31, 2014.

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