Pak. reiterates support for Indo-Iran pipeline project

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JULY 11. The Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has reiterated his country's support for the proposed Iran-India gas pipeline project that would pass through Pakistan.

Gen. Musharraf gave the assurance when the special envoy of Iranian President, Mohammad Khatami, called on him on Tuesday and appraised him of the project details which has been hanging fire for several years.

India has reservations about the multi-billion project passing through Pakistan given the history of hostilities between the two countries. For the last several months Pakistan has been sending out signals that it was prepared to guarantee the safety of the project in view of India's apprehensions.

Pakistan has even given it in writing to Iran assuring the safety of the project and sought to impress upon both India and Iran on how it would be economically beneficial for all the three parties concerned if they go for the land route option.

Just over two weeks ago India had given the go ahead to Iran to proceed with the feasibility on the gas pipeline. It would cover both the options of it passing through the land route in Pakistan as well as the sea-route. Experts believe that costs involved in considering the project through the sea-route are prohibitive.

The possibility of the gas pipeline figuring at the talks between the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee, and Gen. Musharraf at Agra is not being ruled out.

The Pakistan Information Secretary, Mr. Anwar Mahmood, told a news conference here today that Pakistan's views on the project were well known and it had no problem whatsoever with it if India and Iran were willing to go ahead.

``Pakistan wants to improve its relations with the neighboring countries, particularly Iran in political and economic fields, especially in the field of energy,'' Gen. Musharraf has been quoted as telling the special envoy.

The special emissary of President Mohammad Khatami, Dr. Mohammad Hussain Adeli, who is also Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, called on Gen. Musharraf and delivered a special message of Mr. Khatami.

Dr. Adeli expressed Iran's wish to expand cooperation with Pakistan in the field of energy. Other Pakistani officials, including the Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdul Sattar, and the Petroleum Minister, Mr. Usman Aminuddin, met Dr. Adeli.

According to a Pakistani Foreign Office, both the leaders discussed Pakistan-Iran cooperation in the fields of bilateral trade in crude oil and petroleum, besides the Pakistan- Iran Refinery project.

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