PNN – Pakistan’s defense minister called the completion of the joint gas project with the Islamic Republic of Iran as an urgent need of that country and a matter of honor, and while openly criticizing America’s obstruction in the trade debate with Iran, he said: Islamabad should use the influence of third countries to convince Washington.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, during an interview with an English publication, Khawaja Mohammad Asif repeated the old excuse of the Pakistani side that foreign pressure and sanctions are the main obstacle in Pakistan’s way to complete the gas transfer project from Iran: According to our commitment, this project should have been put into operation a decade ago, and even the Iranian gas pipeline was supposed to pass through Pakistan and reach India.
In response to a question about Iran’s right to legally follow the joint gas project, he added: We believe that Tehran has the full right to pursue its interests in legal forums, otherwise it will lose this option, however, Pakistan must start a new diplomacy to get out of this deadlock.
Khawaja Asif criticized America’s duplicity in the issue of trade and cooperation of other countries with the Islamic Republic of Iran and said: We are witnessing the oil interactions of other countries with Iran and Russia, but when it comes to Pakistan, we face blackmail from others.
Pakistan’s defense minister said that we will never suffer the legal consequences of not completing the gas pipeline, and we will not be able to pay the fine, whether it is 18 billion dollars or 18 million dollars.
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He added: Iran is Pakistan’s friend and brother country and we hope that a solution will be found so that we can complete the gas pipeline because this project will benefit Pakistan.
The Minister of Defense of Pakistan said regarding the upcoming visit of the prime minister of this country to New York to participate in the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly: With a new diplomacy, we should use the influence of third countries to convince the US to discuss the completion of the Iranian gas pipeline.
Earlier this month, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan, in response to the legal consequences of the country’s delay in advancing the joint gas project with the Islamic Republic of Iran, stated that Islamabad is in contact with Tehran in this regard.
Mumtaz Zahra, in response to a question about the legal consequences of the delay in advancing the Iranian gas pipeline and Tehran’s right to receive a fine or refer to the arbitration court, stated that this issue is related to the Ministry of Petroleum of Pakistan and should be asked from them.
He added that Pakistan has always said that we want to resolve all issues through friendly consultations.
Pakistani news sources recently claimed that Tehran informed Islamabad of its decision to refer to the International Court of Arbitration regarding the joint gas project with Pakistan.