ISLAMABAD – Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas has urged the government to ask US President Donald Trump to exempt Pakistan from sanctions so that work on the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline can move forward.
Speaking during a Senate session, Raja Nasir Abbas questioned the government’s position on the long-delayed gas pipeline project, saying Pakistan should have completed the project years ago.
He referred to Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik’s earlier statement that the pipeline was not financially viable and therefore could not be constructed.
Raja Nasir Abbas questioned why the project had been approved and signed at the presidential level if it was not viable.
He said that had the gas pipeline been completed around 20 years ago, Pakistan’s industrial sector would have been in a much better position today.
Raja Nasir Abbas also called on the government to engage with the US administration over sanctions related to the project.
He said Pakistan should approach Donald Trump and request that Washington refrain from imposing sanctions on the country over the Pakistan-Iran pipeline.
Responding to the issue, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik told the Senate that Iran had made considerable progress on its side of the pipeline, while Pakistan had been unable to proceed because of sanctions.
He said Iran had also approached an international arbitration court over the matter, adding that efforts were under way to find a solution acceptable to both countries.
The minister said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had constituted a steering committee to examine the issue. The committee includes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, the Attorney General and the petroleum minister.
Ali Pervaiz Malik said the legal proceedings surrounding the pipeline remained a major issue and the government was examining the matter in an effort to find a workable solution.
The Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project has remained stalled for years amid sanctions and legal complications, despite repeated discussions between the two countries over its implementation.
