Pakistan must complete IP soon: Abdul Basit

ISLAMABAD (NNI): Former Pakistan’s High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit Sunday said that Islamabad must complete Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project as quickly as possible and India should rejoin the project for the revival of ‘IPI’ (Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline) once again.

In an interview with IRNA, the leading Pakistani diplomat said the government of Pakistan should ensure that this project continues and completes as quickly as possible.

He said both countries should accelerate the process towards its completion as early as possible so they can start benefiting from each other adding this pipeline should also be expanded to India.

“When I was in India I used to tell my Indian friends that one of the biggest confidence building measures for promoting regional cooperative framework would be that India rejoins the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project so it becomes the IPI once again,” said the diplomat.

Former envoy expressing his views said that it would be huge step forward in order to enhance mutual trust among the three countries and Iran can play a big role because Iran does have good relations with India and Pakistan.

He added, ‘Iran is our neighbor and it is a brotherly country and we cherish the kind of relations we always had, though there are some misunderstandings which creep up some times but over all there is no issue as such.’

Abdul Basit went on to say that Iran is a big important neighboring regional country so it has to play its role in order to help resolve our problems and create a better regional environment.

He added that there have been US pressures on Pakistan in past as well but we have been able to navigate through tough times and I don’t see any reason why the US should be concerned about this economic project it is for the betterment of the people of Pakistan and Iran and it is for our economic growth so I don’t see why US should be worried about this project.’