Pakistan Emphasizes Importing Natural Gas from Iran despite US Sanctions
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Islamabad does not need a sanctions waiver to construct a pipeline for importing natural gas from Iran.
The defense minister of Pakistan also stressed that his country in its new attempts to revive the gas contract inked with Iran in 2009 has reaffirmed its legal right for importing natural gas from Iran in spite of the US sanctions.
Khawaja Asif underlined that his country has the legal right to benefit from the economic deal with Iran, noting that the United States should consider the challenges facing Pakistan in importing energy at higher prices, ISNA reported.
Iran can easily supply the energy to Pakistan with a fair and reasonable price, he said, adding that if the United States insists on opposing the gas transfer from Iran to Pakistan, it must give an alternative.
In 2013, the United States threatened Pakistan with economic sanctions over the gas project inked between Tehran and Islamabad.
