Pakistan underlines importance of IP gas pipeline

Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar underlined her country's resolve to accomplish a multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline project with Iran, saying that Islamabad has to pursue all natural gas pipeline options, including those with Iran, if it's to make up for an energy deficit.Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov arrived Monday in Islamabad to meet his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari. Both sides during their meeting focused on expanding trade relationships and hastening the development of the western-backed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline. The Pakistani foreign minister said that doesn't mean Islamabad is giving up on an Iranian pipeline, however. "We are energy deficient and we are pro-actively pursuing access to gas which includes the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline." Tehran has almost completed construction of its part of the pipeline from the giant South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf to the border with Pakistan. According to the project proposal, the pipeline will begin from Iran's Assalouyeh Energy Zone in the south and stretch over 1,100 km through Iran. In Pakistan, it will pass through Balochistan and Sindh but officials now say the route may be changed if China agrees to the project. The gas will be supplied from the South Par field. The initial capacity of the pipeline will be 22 billion cubic meters of natural gas per annum, which is expected to be later rose to 55 billion cubic meters. The project is expected to cost $7.4 billion.