According to the regional office of Tasnim news agency, Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif called the completion of the joint gas project with Iran an urgent need of that country and a matter of honor, and while openly criticizing the US's obstruction in trade with Iran, he said: Islamabad should be protected from the influence of third countries. used to convince Washington.
In a conversation with “Independent Urdu”, he claimed that foreign pressure and sanctions are the main obstacle in Pakistan's way to complete the gas transfer project from Iran, and stated: According to our commitment, this project should have been put into operation a decade ago, and even the pipeline was supposed to be completed. Peace gas will pass through Pakistan and reach India.
In response to a question about Iran's right to legally pursue the joint gas project, Khawaja Asif added: We believe that Tehran has the full right to pursue its interests in legal forums, otherwise it will lose this option. However, Pakistan should start a new diplomacy to get out of this deadlock.
Criticizing America's ambivalence regarding trade and other countries' cooperation with Iran, Pakistan's defense minister said: “We are witnessing the oil interactions of other countries with Iran and Russia, but when it comes to Pakistan, we face blackmail by others.”
He also stated: 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.
In 2009, Iran and Pakistan signed an agreement to supply 750 million cubic feet of gas per day for 25 years, and this project was supposed to be completed by December 2014, and the parties were required to build the pipeline in their territory.
Even though the Iranian side had built the gas transmission pipeline near the border of Pakistan by fulfilling its obligations and spending two billion dollars even before the scheduled time, but the Pakistani side has not taken any significant action to implement its obligations and every time the US sanctions makes excuses for his non-commitment.
Iran had previously extended Pakistan's deadline to complete this pipeline until September 2024 and stressed that if Islamabad authorities fail to complete this project by this time, they must pay Iran 18 billion dollars in compensation.
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