ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Pakistani intelligence agencies have entered the fray regarding the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, calling on government officials to find alternatives.
A letter from the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence agency to energy officials in Islamabad raised objections to the project, calling on the government to explore alternatives, the Pakistan Observer reports.
The ISI calls on the government to explore indigenous resources to stave off a looming energy crisis.
The IPI project was envisioned in 1989 and has moved in various stages of development since. The project has experienced historic setbacks due to pricing terms and security along the intended route.
Washington has long opposed the project due to its potential economic benefit for Iran. A civilian nuclear deal with India encouraged New Delhi to balk on IPI, though no viable alternatives were offered to Islamabad, the report adds.
Western allies had moved on the rival Trans-Afghanistan pipeline from Turkmenistan, but lingering conflict in Afghanistan makes that project unreliable.
Energy officials, however, say Pakistan may have no other option but to move forward with IPI as competitors are too costly for Islamabad.
