We welcome Iran nuclear deal, govt should move forward with IP pipeline now: Sherry Rehman
Islamabad, July 14: Vice President of Pakistan Peoples Parliamentarian, Senator Sherry Rehman welcomed the nuclear agreement between the P5 plus 1 and Iran in Vienna as a landmark deal. Sherry Rehman said that we hope the lifting of sanctions will spur the federal government to move forward on the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline development, which had been left undone since 2013 when President Zardari pushed it through with Tehran.
“We urge Islamabad to lose no time in moving ahead with Pakistan’s side of the pipeline, as its completion should bring urgently needed relief on the energy deficit at home” she said. The pipeline promises in some estimates, to deliver 21.5 million cubic metres of much-needed gas to Pakistan, where reserves are drying up fast and demand rising exponentially.
“We also hope that the lifting of sanctions gives the Iranian people the much-awaited relief that global connectivity could give their economy. The regional pivot which the PPP government had premised foreign policy on can also now be truly realized, with Pakistan becoming a hub for energy and trade for the entire region, “she added.
Development of the Gwadar Port infrastructure, which will further connect Pakistan to the China Economic Corridor, as conceived by the PPP government, will bring a whole new development dividend to Pakistan if realized in time and with real transparency.
The Iran deal can actually boost bilateral trade with Pakistan as well now, and Islamabad can look to achieving higher trade goals than the two billion dollar mark that both countries had reached before sanctions brought it down to 300 million dollars.
“Iran is an important country that we share a border with, and leveraging resources together will be key to fighting terrorism in the region as well. The lifting of sanctions should incentivize Tehran to mainstream its efforts and join other countries in stabilizing the region, especially with higher cooperation between Kabul and Islamabad.”
