Energy security must be Pakistan’s top priority, says Pak-USA entrepreneur

LAHORE, Jul 29 (APP): Pakistan should make energy security its foremost national priority by seeking US guarantees for uninterrupted and affordable gas imports from Iran, provided Washington and Tehran resolve tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, said prominent Pakistani-American entrepreneur Mossadaq Chughtai in a media statement here Tuesday.

He added, “To break free from energy insecurity, Islamabad must pursue a single-point agenda: secure a US-led international exception for gas imports under the Iran-Pakistan pipeline.”

Chughtai, an investor in advanced technologies and agricultural projects, argued that expediting the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline represents the most practical path toward reducing Pakistan’s chronic energy shortages and stabilizing its economy.

Pakistan’s recent diplomatic engagement, he said, should now translate into tangible economic gains with energy security serving as the foundation for long-term growth.

While acknowledging the importance of diversifying energy sources, Chughtai said Pakistan should prioritize the most affordable option available – Iranian natural gas.

“The Middle East is likely to remain in prolonged turmoil, with no major power willing to compromise.

Stability, let alone business as usual, remains a distant prospect. Even if the region stabilizes, energy producers will increase output to recover losses, but Iran is expected to remain among the most competitive suppliers due to its large production capacity and established international buyers,” he observed.

Mossadaq Chughtai, Vice Chairman of KiNRG, a US-based energy company that recently acquired a data-center construction firm to expand its integrated energy solutions business, said Pakistan had been presented with a rare opportunity. “I believe Pakistan has been presented with a rare opportunity that could take the country to unprecedented levels of economic growth, beyond anything in its modern history,” he viewed.

He identified the proposed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, entering through the Gabd-Kumb Border Crossing, as the country’s most significant strategic energy project, noting that the pipeline had already been completed on the Iranian side of the border.

“If there is one strategic initiative Pakistan should pursue, it is the proposed gas pipeline from Iran, entering through the Gabd-Kumb Border Crossing,” Chughtai said. The project has the potential to transform Pakistan’s economy, provided it was implemented with strategic foresight and long-term discipline.

Chughtai proposed that Pakistan seek a non-revocable 50-year US sanctions waiver to ensure uninterrupted gas imports from Iran. He also called for a long-term pricing agreement with Tehran, suggesting a gas price capped at USD 2.25 per MMBtu, with a maximum ceiling of USD 5.00 per MMBtu over the 50-year period.

He further recommended establishing a domestic pricing framework that would limit consumer and industrial gas tariffs to no more than 10 percent above the government’s procurement cost.

Such a policy, he argued, would improve the competitiveness of Pakistani manufacturers and exporters in global markets.

“If executed effectively, such a framework could fundamentally reshape Pakistan’s economic trajectory by accelerating manufacturing growth, attracting mid to large scale investment, and increasing exports to levels comparable to Vietnam’s within five to ten years,” Chughtai said.

He projected that the strategy could create more than 11 million jobs, broaden the tax base, support sustained GDP growth, and deliver long-term economic prosperity.

“Now is the time for Pakistan to open a dialogue with the White House to secure reliable energy supplies capable of meeting the country’s growing development needs in an evolving regional environment filled with both opportunities and challenges,” he concluded.