*ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has responded to the legal notice from Iran over delayin completion of Pakistan Iran Gas Pipeline project.*

According to sources, Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed concernedauthorities to tackle the gas line project issue with Iran in aconciliatory manner.

Pakistan’s reply to Iran’s February 28 legal notice, told the country inwriting that there were obstacles in execution of the Iran-Pakistan gaspipeline project as Tehran is under United States sanctions regime, sourcessaid.

Pakistan is still committed to executing the project, but only ifinternational sanctions on Iran are lifted, Pakistan’s reply said.

Tehran in February this year formally issued a notice to Islamabad and saidit is moving an arbitration court against Pakistan for failing to lay downthe pipeline in Pakistani territory in the time frame stipulated in thebilateral agreement over the gas pipeline project.

A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan considered the notice anddirected the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take steps to iron out thedifferences with Iran amicably, sources further said.

The prime minister directed to follow a conciliatory path over the projectwith Iran and search the way out jointly with the country forimplementation on the gas project.

Prime Minister also directed for launching a process to seek review on thepurchase price of gas with Iran.

According to the agreement signed between Pakistan and Iran in 2009, theIran-Pakistan gas pipeline project was to be completed by December 2014 andwould deliver 21.5 million cubic meters of gas per day to Pakistan.