Failure to Build Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Is Hurting Pakistan’s Economy: Raja Nasir Abbas

Failure to Build Pak-Iran Gas Pipeline Is a Loss to National Economy: Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas

Shiite News: Speaking during a Senate session, Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) Chairman Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas strongly criticized what he described as the government’s negligence regarding the Pakistan-Iran Gas Pipeline Project.

Questioning the Petroleum Minister’s statement, he asked why the project was signed if it was not considered feasible. He said that if the pipeline had been constructed 20 years ago, Pakistan’s industrial sector would have been operating at a much stronger level today.

Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also recalled that Pakistan had previously provided support to U.S. President Donald Trump when, according to his remarks, the United States was deeply embroiled in a conflict with Iran. He urged the government to clearly tell Trump not to obstruct the important national project or impose sanctions on Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik told the Senate that Iran had completed a substantial portion of work on its side of the project, but Pakistan had been unable to make progress because of sanctions-related pressure.

He said Iran had also approached an arbitration tribunal, and the government was now seeking a solution that would be acceptable to both countries.

The Petroleum Minister further said that the Prime Minister had established a special steering committee to address the project. The committee includes Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, the Attorney General, and the Petroleum Minister himself.

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He added that the possibility of legal proceedings over the pipeline remained a serious concern, and the government was making every effort to find an immediate and appropriate solution.