India was fully on board and committed to take part in the USD seven billion Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project, a senior official here said.
"We have been assured by the Indian government that it has no plan to abandon the IPI gas pipeline project under American pressure," Pakistan Petroleum and Natural Resources Secretary Ahmad Waqar said.
"Reports to the contrary .... may be attributed to political needs, not real intentions," he was quoted by 'Dawn' as saying.
"There is no confusion in our mind that India has joined the three-nation gas pipeline project," Waqar, however, said that Pakistan was pursing both bilateral and tri-lateral approaches to ensure that the project was not abandoned for any reason.
"In the first place, India has assured both Pakistan and Iran that it is very much part of the project, but in case it does not join the project due to any reason, Islamabad and Tehran would complete it," he said.
The growing energy requirements of India and Pakistan had forced both the countries to have a certain feasible gas pipeline project, he said. he said, adding that during the recent SAARC summit in New Delhi, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was assured by his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh that his country was serious about the project.
"We have been assured by the Indian government that it has no plan to abandon the IPI gas pipeline project under American pressure," Pakistan Petroleum and Natural Resources Secretary Ahmad Waqar said.
"Reports to the contrary .... may be attributed to political needs, not real intentions," he was quoted by 'Dawn' as saying.
"There is no confusion in our mind that India has joined the three-nation gas pipeline project," Waqar, however, said that Pakistan was pursing both bilateral and tri-lateral approaches to ensure that the project was not abandoned for any reason.
"In the first place, India has assured both Pakistan and Iran that it is very much part of the project, but in case it does not join the project due to any reason, Islamabad and Tehran would complete it," he said.
The growing energy requirements of India and Pakistan had forced both the countries to have a certain feasible gas pipeline project, he said. he said, adding that during the recent SAARC summit in New Delhi, Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was assured by his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh that his country was serious about the project.
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