NEWSThe ground-breaking of $ 7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project was performed by President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and his Iranian counterpart Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on March 11, 2013. Both the head of states unveiled the foundation plaque of the project that involve construction of Pakistan’s side of the pipeline, at a ceremony held in Chabahar, an Iranian city near the Pakistan border and also witnessed the joining of pipeline segments that were painted with flags of the two nations. With this ground-breaking a foundation of bilateral energy cooperation was also laid which will unleash a new era of development in the region as the project will bring in 750 mmcfd gas to Pakistan by January 2015.
Addressing the gathering, President Zardari said that Iran- Pakistan pipeline will help eradicate terrorism, bring prosperity to the region and overcome poverty. The President termed the ceremony as a historic moment not only for the two nations but also for the region and said that many countries in the world had prospered by promoting trade within their regions and opined that this economic and energy cooperation will make Pakistan and Iran prosperous.
Iranian President Ahmadinejad said that the project had nothing to do with country’s nuclear program because the gas pipeline cannot help make bombs.
In his address the Iranian President Ahmadinejad said that the project had nothing to do with country’s nuclear program because the gas pipeline cannot help make bombs. He said that it is a peace pipeline and if the world wants peace it should refrain from creating hurdles. The Iranian President commented that IP pipeline will become a milestone in regional cooperation and this event is a message to opponents. The then Adviser to the Prime Minister on Petroleum, Dr. Asim Hussain said that relations could be cold and warm, but geographic neighbours cannot change. Let us live together in prosperity and cooperation, he said and added hat Gwadar port would soon have Pakistan’s largest refinery, which would be built jointly by the two countries. Dr. Asim also informed that on completion, project would contribute about 5% to Pakistan’s gross domestic product and create 10,000 jobs during construction and about 3,000 after completion.
The project, conceived in the early 1990s, envisages delivery of 750 mmcfd gas from Iran’s South Pars field at the Pakistan-lran border through a 56-inch 1150-km pipeline. A 900-km pipeline from South Pars to Sheher in Iran has already been laid while the construction of a 200-km pipeline up to Gabd-zero point is in the final stages of design. The 781-km Pakistani section of the pipeline (42“diameter) is to be laid close to Makran coastal highway from Gabd-zero point to Nawabshah.
The two countries had signed intergovernmental framework and gas sale and purchase agreements in 2009, which legally became effective on June 13, 2010.
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