ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has informed Iran that it cannot execute Pak-Iran gas pipeline project in the face of US sanctions on Iran.
Mobin Saulat, the managing director of Inter State Gas has said in a statement, “Pakistan has informed Iran in writing in this regard. Pakistan has timeframe till August with reference to legal notice of Iran. It is hoped that some solution will be found of this issue through talks with Iranian authorities.
Mobin Saulat said Iran has formally issued notice to Pakistan in February wherein it was stated that if Pakistan fails to lay pipeline in its territory within stipulated time then Iran will resort to Arbitration court
“We may not have a weak case if Iran moves the international court,” Saulat said. “We are trying to handle it professionally.”
“Under present US sanctions on Iran, it is impossible to execute the IP [Iran-Pakistan] gas pipeline project and we have conveyed it to them [Iran] in writing recently.
It is pertinent to mention here that during PPP regime former president Asif Ali Zardari had inaugurated Pak-Iran gas pipeline project.
Iran had laid 900 kilometer pipeline in its territory while Pakistan was to lay 800 kilometer pipeline in its territory. Now Iran has taken this matter to arbitration court and a legal notice has been issued to Pakistan.
