Pakistan National Security Committee agrees to benefit from regional pipelines
National Security Committee (NSC) of Pakistan in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has affirmed that Pakistan would fulfill bilateral commitments with other countries and benefit from available energy import sources in the region.
he statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said the NSC after reviewing “regional gas and oil pipelines under consideration” decided that “Pakistan should take advantage of the opportunities available where they are in Pakistan’s best economic and national interest”.
The statement did not mention the regional energy pipelines the NSC considered, but the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline is one such project that has been held up because of regional and global politics, although the Pakistani government has been claiming that the project is not progressing because of unavailability of finances due to sanctions against Iran.
The gas pipeline is considered to be the easiest and most feasible route for importing natural gas. The groundbreaking of the pipeline project was performed in March 2013. While Iran has since then laid its side of the pipeline, Pakistan is yet to begin work on its side.
“The meeting unanimously agreed that it was of critical importance for Pakistan to play a proactive role in the best interest of the Ummah, while firmly adhering to its bilateral commitments,” the statement said.
The meeting was attended, among others, by Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Gen Zubair Mehmood Hayat, Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi and Chief of the Air Staff ACM Sohail Aman.