Islamabad pressured to scrap IPI

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 7 (UPI) -- Western countries are pressuring Islamabad to scrap a pipeline project with Iran while Pakistan faces a looming energy crisis, officials say.

The Pakistan Interstate Gas Co. and the Iranian National Oil Co. signed the agreements in a June ceremony in Istanbul, with Turkey governing the terms of the long-delayed Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline.

Iran will supply more than 750 million cubic feet of gas per day for the Pakistani generation of some 5,000 megawatts of energy under the terms of the 25-year contract.

IPI would supply gas to Pakistan from the South Pars gas field, one of the largest in the world. India's role in the project remains in doubt as the country works toward civilian nuclear energy with the help of the United States.

Pakistan, for its part, is looking for a major economic boost from the project, with oil and gas reserves in Balochistan province expected to attract investors to the deal.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called on lawmakers to consider an offshore route for IPI to allay concerns over the security of the pipeline, though rival officials complain that is just another delay tactic.

Meanwhile, Iranian state-funded broadcaster Press TV points to comments from Asim Hussain, the top energy adviser to Islamabad, saying he faced direct pressure to scrap the project.

"Two powerful countries -- one a Western power and the other an all important brother Islamic country -- were putting pressure on Pakistan to ditch the project," he said without providing details.