ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Pakistan sees a natural gas pipeline planned from Iran as "beyond the scope" of sanctions targeting the Islamic republic, a government official said.
Pakistan is exploring a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan and one from Iran as it tries to address a lingering energy crisis. Progress this week was made on the Turkmenistan option after meetings in New Delhi. Washington favors the Turkmenistan option over the Iranian pipeline because of the economic benefits for Iran.
A spokesman for the Pakistani government said Islamabad needed to move ahead with the Iranian option despite U.S. objections.
"We are working to complete the project by 2014," the spokesman for the country's Foreign Office was quoted by Pakistani news agency News International as saying. "We believe that this project is beyond the scope of relevant U.N. resolutions, which we are obliged to comply with like all other member states."
A section of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act, passed by the U.S. Congress, sanctions investments with Iran's Central Bank, sanctions that could affect Pakistan's efforts to process gas payments with Iran.
