ISLAMABAD, Aug 25 (APP):Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Tuesday informed the Senate that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline issue, balancing Pakistan’s potential financial liability arising from arbitration with its future energy requirements. Responding to a Calling Attention Notice raised by Talha Mahmood, the minister said the committee was examining the legal, financial …
PM forms high-level committee to steer Pak-Iran gas pipeline out of arbitration impasse
ISLAMABAD, Aug 25 (APP):Minister for Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik on Tuesday informed the Senate that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has constituted a high-level committee to work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline issue, balancing Pakistan’s potential financial liability arising from arbitration with its future energy requirements.
Responding to a Calling Attention Notice raised by Talha Mahmood, the minister said the committee was examining the legal, financial and energy dimensions of the stalled project with a view to finding a solution in Pakistan’s national interest.
He said Iran was a brotherly country and the leadership of the two countries remained fully engaged in efforts to reach an amicable settlement acceptable to both sides.
Ali Pervaiz Malik said Iran had already made substantial physical progress on its side, bringing gas from the South Pars field to a major Iranian city close to the Pakistan border.
The minister said the matter had gone into arbitration in Paris, making it important for Pakistan to handle the potential liability associated with the project carefully.
He said the government wanted to avoid further complications in litigation and was therefore working towards a negotiated resolution with Iran.
The high-level committee, he added, was looking at the potential liability facing Pakistan, the implications of litigation and the country’s future energy requirements to determine a way forward on the project.
Responding to gas-related concerns raised about Balochistan, the petroleum minister said the PM had directed him to engage with provincial stakeholders.
He said another high-level committee, headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, was examining Balochistan’s gas-related issues, including technical and payment matters.
