ISLAMABAD – Iran has invited Pakistan’s legal team to see if sanctions areeffective on gas transactions or not.
Daily ‘The News’ reported that Iran is of the opinion that Pakistan needsto get waiver from the US on gas as India and other countries managed.
Pakistan and Iran signed GSPA (gas sales purchase agreement) in 2009 underIP gas pipeline project in era of Pakistan Peoples’ Party. Since then theproject could not get the shape, rather this mega project witnessed manyupheavals.
The project was to be implemented under segmented approach meaning by thatIran had to lay down the pipeline on its side and Pakistan had to build thepipeline in its territory.
The project was to be completed by December 2014 and come on stream fromJanuary 1, 2015. Under the penalty clause it was agreed by both sides thatif Pakistan fails to have intake of Iranian gas from January 1, 2015, itwill have to pay $1 million per day as the penalty.
Pakistan has failed to lay down pipeline of 781km in its territory onaccount of failure in arranging the funding mainly because of the sanctionsimposed on Iran for its nuclear ambitions.
“Now under the latest scenario, we have sent to Iranian legal team about10-12 questions contesting the opinion of Iran on gas sanctions and inreturn Iranian side has invited Pakistan legal team to hold in-depth talkswith its legal wizards over sanctions on gas transaction,” a seniorofficial of Petroleum Division told The News.
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However, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Ghulam Sarwar Khansaid, “Yes, both the countries are engaged on this issue, but advancementon IP gas line is conditional with the lifting of the sanctions. However,the decision will be made keeping in view the supreme interests of thecountry.”
Tehran earlier in November, 2018, asked Islamabad in official engagementheld in Islamabad to get the waiver from the US sanctions as India hasmanaged, to implement the much delayed Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas line project.
Iranian side in November talks had also emphasised arguing that thereexists no sanctions particularly on gas transactions, so Pakistan shouldcome forward and start working for IP gas line implementation.
The Iranian team had asked authorities to initiate concerted efforts to getwaiver from the US for implementation of the IP gas line project ifPakistan considers that the US sanctions are also active on gas relatedtransactions.
