Pakistan Says No Need for 'Sanction Waiver' to Build Gas Pipeline from Iran

On Thursday, April 2, the Pakistani government announced that it does not need a 'sanction waiver' or permission from the United States to construct a natural gas import pipeline from Iran. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokesperson for the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, responded to a question from Voice of America on this matter, stating, 'This is part of the pipeline that is being built within Pakistani territory. Therefore, any negotiations or requests for waivers from a third country are meaningless.' This comes as Donald Lu, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, stated on Wednesday that the department is monitoring the construction phases of the pipeline between Iran and Pakistan, but Pakistan has not yet requested a waiver from sanctions for gas trade with Iran. Last month, the interim Pakistani government announced its agreement to begin construction of an 80-kilometer gas pipeline to avoid paying billions of dollars in fines to the Islamic Republic for years of delays in a $7 billion project. Pakistan previously rejected media reports about the 'delay of the multi-billion dollar gas pipeline project with Iran,' stating that it is 'actively' trying to dissuade the Islamic Republic from pursuing a complaint regarding this project. According to the English section of Voice of America, Musadik Malik, Pakistan's Minister of Petroleum, announced at a press conference that Islamabad has until March 2024 to reach a solution with Tehran and prevent any legal disputes between the two countries over this project. Negotiations for the construction of the gas pipeline between Iran and Pakistan began in the mid-1990s. The two sides agreed in June 2009 to build a pipeline that would transfer 750 million to 1 billion cubic feet of gas per day from Iran's South Pars field to Pakistan. The Islamic Republic claims it has fulfilled its agreement with Pakistan years ago and has established its related pipeline, while Pakistan has made no progress in implementing the contract, citing fears of U.S. sanctions as the reason for inaction. Islamabad has called for an immediate investigation into the armed attack on nine Pakistani nationals in Iran. Exclusive: Senator Mohajer Hussain Syed: The attack on Pakistan was by the IRGC and was unilateral. Turkmenistan's gas exports to Pakistan; the 'gas dream' of Iran has gone up in smoke. Iran has also been excluded from the eastern gas market, while Pakistan is closing deals with the Russians. Terrorist attacks in Afghanistan occurred a day after the gas pipeline project. Pakistan mediating between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Riyadh; France has also taken the initiative.