Chairman Businessmen Panel of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI), MianAnjumNisar has appreciated the Cabinet Committee’s approval of work on 80-kilometer first phase of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project within its borders after a long delay and hoped that it would proceed expeditiously, as the project was bound to bring an industrial revolution in Pakistan.
In a statement issued on Sunday, he said the businessmen had already been pressing the government hard for procuring the required energy resource from whatever source suits to it to relieve the country of the mounting shortage of gas.
MianAnjumNisar said that the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project began in 2013, and several deadlines have already been missed due to long-standing US sanctions against Tehran. According to reports, Pakistan was trying to negotiate with Tehran to avoid a whopping $20 billion in liabilities as the long-stalled project’s deadline approaches this year. Last year, government also approached Washington, requesting a solution to the lingering imbroglio, but received no response.
The business leader said that we were convinced that Iranian source was the most feasible, financially as well as from the point of view of proximity.
He observed the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline would serve Pakistan’s national interests and go a long way in mitigating the energy issues, asserting that an early completion of this mega project of national importance would be a great favour to the business community as its very survival was at stake at the moment. The availability of gas would also help government achieve economic targets.—INP
