Pakistani lawmakers squabble over IPI

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 6 (UPI) -- Vetting alternate routes for the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline is unnecessary and further delays solutions to Pakistan's looming energy crisis, officials say.

After years of stalemates, Iran and Pakistan in June formally signed bilateral agreements in Istanbul on the so-called Peace Pipeline from the South Pars gas field.

The Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline will bring gas from the South Pars field in Iran, one of the largest gas fields in the world, to markets in Pakistan and India.

The pipeline is plagued by concerns over pricing mechanisms and volatility along the intended route for the pipeline, particularly in the Pakistani province of Baluchistan.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has asked for considerations of the IPI route to include offshore routes to allay parliamentary concerns over the price and security of the gas pipeline.

Mubashir Hasan, a lawmaker with the Pakistani People's Party, has complained that Gilani's suggestions would delay the project after the milestone agreement in June, Pakistan's daily The News reports.

"Now that everything has been settled and finally the bureaucracy had also agreed to clinch the deal, it is strange to note that the prime minister has stepped in to block it," he said.

Hasan goes on to say past analysis of the pipeline shows an overland route is the best option for the IPI pipeline, accusing Gilani of "cowering" under American pressure over any project that includes Iran.