Dust accumulating Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project is all set to get finalise between Iran and Pakistan on January 25, 2008, as informed by Iran 's ambassador to Islamabad Mashallah Shakeri on Sunday.
He hailed the project for its various economic, social and security significance, which would bring extensive benefits for the three countries.
Expressing that this measure is a confirmation of their will to reach a decision to implement the project, he told media that Iran has already started the work on the project and also expected India to join to start the project trilaterally.
Peace through IPI gas pipeline was a major inventiveness to quench the energy thirst of India and Pakistan . This pipeline is also vied as an important strategy to reach peace and stability in the region. The proposed pipeline is 2,775 km long that will deliver gas from the fields of Iran to Pakistan and India .
Though a brainchild of Rajendra K. Pachauri, who conceptualized it in 1989 in partnership with Ali Shams Ardekani, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran.
With positive nod from both the government, the project got a major leg up in the annual conference of the International Association of Energy Economics, 1990.
From Asalouyeh in Iran it will pass through Baluchistan and Sind in Pakistan and then will enter India .
Thus a major hurdle to the ongoing peace pipeline as both Baluchistan and Sindh remain hostile to Pakistan government and various terrorist attacks in the region have seen as a method to sabotage the ongoing gas pipeline project thus one of the main cause to India 's reluctance to the project. As security of the pipeline in the region become the main concern.
Earlier the deal faced the major hurdle when Iran , Pakistan and India could not reach to any conclusion on price, as Iran demanded a price of 7.2 dollars per mBtu (per million British thermal units) of gas against India 's offer of 4.2 dollars per mBtu.
India 's point was Tehran 's price is more than 50 per cent the prevailing market determined gas price in India .
India and Pakistan offered $4.93 per mBtu for its gas but it still remains open to negotiation.
The project hold importance to Iran at the time when Western powers have isolated it, it was also reported that Bush administration was against the project and has suggested Turkmenistan- Afghanistan- India pipeline instead of IPI, an opposition to the financial remuneration to Iran.
The pipeline if successfully mooted Iran can use it to fight US sanction and deter them for the same. This will open an opportunity for Iran to unfold its wing in other region too.
Future depends
The success of pipeline depends on security of the pipeline in the areas which evoke serious concern to its safety, though the problem is deep rooted in the economic and social development of the place hence the people and the region should be linked to the process of development by investing a part of profit in it.
As the assumption goes that Iran through opening its energy market to eastern countries it will make an important strategic and political move to counter Western powers but it is also significant in the light that not only the regional influence of the pipeline will get broadened through peace and stability in the market, India will get the gas at four time cheaper rate than other option available even after paying the transportation cost to Pakistan.
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