International consortium for gas pipeline suggested

Our Infrastructure Bureau

New Delhi, April 11: PAKISTAN and Iran on Wednesday made a strong case for an onland gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan by suggesting formation of an international consortium, with participation from Iran, India and Pakistan besides multilateral agencies for managing the pipeline.

The suggestion was made at an international conference on India’s energy security, jointly organised by the Institute of Defence Studies & Analyses (IDSA) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.

While Hailal A Raza, director general and chief executive officer of the Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP), tried to dispel India’s apprehensions about security, the Iranian delegates sought to explain that up to about 3,500 km, onland pipeline had a cost advantage over shipping gas in liquefied form.

Mr Raza said that given the relations between Indian and Pakistan, energy cooperation and trade seemed one of the biggest confidence building measures between the two countries as the stakeholders in such major and vital undertakings would be influential stakeholders to support peace.

While stating that there have been separate proposals of laying gas pipelines from Turkmenistan, Iran, Qatar and the UAE to Pakistan and onwards to India, Mr Raza said, “Any of these pipelines, if laid could change the energy as well as the economic picture of the entire region .”