Topic: Asim Hussain

Iran's plugging away at building a gas pipeline to Pakistan, a project that's been plagued by difficulties since it was first mooted nearly two decades ago.

A final round of negotiations on transit fees for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India natural gas pipeline is set for May, a Pakistani official said.

A Pakistani official said Iran offered to sell the energy-starved country crude oil under a three-month deferred payment option.

Pakistan has a multifaceted strategy to address growing energy shortages, including quick action on a pipeline from Iran, a government agency said.

Pakistan and Turkmenistan reached a draft agreement on gas from a planned $7.6 billion pipeline, though Islamabad said it was still keen on working with Iran.

Getting a natural gas pipeline built from Iran to Pakistan depends to some extent on the reaction from the international community, a Pakistani official said.

Pakistan could connect its transit networks to Iranian gas supplies as early as next year if it wants to, the Iranian envoy to Islamabad said.

Pakistan aims to start work on a pipeline on its side of the border to move natural gas from Iran's South Pars gas field, an official said.

Natural gas from the South Pars gas field designated for the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline will save Pakistan $5 million a day, officials said.

Pakistani officials are considering whether to form a local or international consortium to move forward with plans for the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline.