Iran Press/Asia: During a media briefing in Islamabad, Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman expressed concern over the government’s inaction on the project. He stated, “The government has stalled work on the Pak-Iran gas pipeline. If the project were completed, it would immediately fulfill at least 25% of our energy needs. Moreover, there is a penalty clause in the agreement that could cost Pakistan $18 billion if we fail to complete the pipeline.”
He further criticized the government for its handling of agreements with Independent Power Projects (IPPs), saying, “We are constantly threatened by the government regarding the IPPs, claiming that revising these agreements would lead to litigation in the International Court. They cite the Rekodic case, yet that issue was resolved out of court, with one of the major companies still operating. This shows that we can fight these cases, but instead, the government burdens us with the IPPs' load under the guise of threats.”
Reiterating the urgency of the Pak-Iran gas pipeline, Hafiz Naeem Ur Rehman emphasized, “The government has conveniently ignored the penalty attached to this project. Completing the Pak-Iran gas pipeline is vital for Pakistan at this juncture. It is an urgent necessity, and work on it must be resumed immediately.”
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