Iran and India have concluded an agreement to commission a study which will enable the two countries to build a pipeline to bring gas from Iran to the energy-dependent regions of India, reported Dawn online edition Saturday.
The project has been under consideration of the two countries for some time, said the Pakistani paper, but neither has been able to muster courage to overcome what was thought to be an insecure, but perhaps the most viable, route for the pipeline through Pakistan.
According to the report, there were two aspects relating to security of the pipeline. Some people feared that Pakistan could suspend supply to India any time it chose. And the other was the indirect possibility of the pipeline being sabotaged by third parties in Pakistan.
However, during his recent visit to Tehran, Indian Defense Minister Jaswant Singh suggested that the Iranian authorities should own their responsibility for the supply of natural gas in an arrangement with Pakistan. Tehran consented to the proposal, said Dawn – Albawaba.com
