The long-term Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project, which runs between Islamabad and Tehran, has been beset by finance issues and delays for a number of years. To avoid possible fines from Tehran worth $18 billion, the government decided in February to begin construction on an 80-kilometer section of the pipeline that would run from the Iranian border to Gwadar.
Washington issued a warning on Tuesday, stating that it does not support the gas pipeline project's continuation and that doing business with Tehran carries a risk of penalties.
Following his announcement that Islamabad would request an exemption from US sanctions related to the gas pipeline project, Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik made the comments.
"We're going to ask to be spared from US sanctions. on an informal conversation with media, Malik had stated, "Pakistan cannot afford sanctions in the gas pipeline project."
This was in opposition to the Foreign Office's position, which stated during a news briefing last week that there was no possibility of a third party conversation or waiver.
Following US ambassador Donald Lu's declaration that Washington was dedicated to blocking the pipeline's construction during a detailed hearing before a US House subcommittee, the matter gained significant attention. Lu pointed out that Islamabad had not requested a lifting of any US sanctions that would be triggered by the project at this point.
When asked about the US warning over the pipeline during a press briefing on Wednesday, US State Department spokeswoman Matthew Miller said that "it seems like United States left it at nowhere to meet up with energy crisis."
Miller said that aiding Pakistan in resolving its energy scarcity issue was "a priority for the United States."
We have backed Pakistan's efforts to increase its capacity for clean energy by about 4,000 megawatts. Millions of Pakistanis now have electricity in their homes because to our projects, which have significantly expanded the country's electrical capacity, he said.
Suggested:
