ISLAMABAD, 25 December 2006 — Pakistan will go ahead with multimillion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India trilateral gas pipeline project despite the imposition of sanctions by the United Nations’ Security Council against Iran, Foreign Office spokeswoman said here yesterday.
Tasnim Aslam said, “We have examined the draft of the UNSC resolution it only covers nuclear related items.”
In categorical terms Tasnim said Pakistan has no nuclear arrangement with Iran. This resolution does not apply on proposed Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri was in Tehran recently to finalize the deal. So far the third partner in the project — India — has expressed its willingness to purchase gas from Iran via Pakistan.
Tasnim said, “There is no diplomatic pressure on Pakistan as far as bilateral or multilateral trade with Iran is concerned minus nuclear related materials.”
Pakistan faced world criticism earlier for the supply of clandestine centrifuges to Iran by Abdul Qadeer Khan’s network. The government has maintained ,”Only Dr. Qadeer’s network was involved and it was not the policy of government of Pakistan to proliferate the region.”
President Pervez Musharraf said Saturday, “The gas pipeline will be completed at all costs.” He commented after his discussion on the issue with Kasuri. Musharraf said Pakistan needed energy on urgent basis to sustain pace of its industrial development.
Meanwhile, Pakistan has received a request from India to provide road and railway facilities to Delhi for its land trade with Iran. Foreign Office is examining Indian request but a final decision will be taken at the highest level.
