LAHORE: Pakistan and India will soon finalise the bilateral tariff and transit fee for the USD7 billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.
Technical teams of both countries will meet in Islamabad from April 16-18 to firm up recommendations to be discussed by the petroleum ministers of the Pakistan and India at their meeting on April 23 the Press Trust of India reported on Friday.
Both sides had earlier resolved differences over the transportation fee and will now focus on the issues of tariff and transit fee for Iranian gas to be transported to India via Pakistan.
A petroleum ministry official said India and Pakistan will also discuss issues related to the six-billion dollar, 2,000-km Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. The official said the technical and ministerial-level talks were "very important" for the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project.
Following the talks with India, Pakistan will line up further meetings with Iran in May.
The Iranian side will be briefed next month about the outcome of talks between Pakistan and India, the official said, expressing the hope that all lingering issues related to the project will be sorted out this month.
Sources said senior Pakistani officials had been informed by Iran that it had sorted out 40 to 50 per cent of the "logistic issues" for undertaking work on the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline.
Pakistan has also been told that Iran had asked India to join the project without caring for the opposition of the US to the pipeline.
http://www.thepost.com.pk/CityNews.aspx?dtlid=155082&catid=3
Facts
Having contacted different Baloch leaders, political, social, tribal and military wings like BLA, BLF, BRA, and Political parties BNP, JWP, NP, and organistions like (BU) Baloch Unity, Baloch Student Org, BSO, Marri Ittahad, Baloch Haq Tawar and others all have expressed their serious reservations on IPI gas pipe line, which will give Pakistan more revenues to extend their occupation on Baloch lands and resources, Baloch are united on this issue and will give bleeding nose to those who play with Baloch national interests. |
