The United States has stated that “assisting Pakistan in resolving its energy crisis is a priority for Washington”.
The Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline is a long-term project between Tehran and Islamabad and has been facing delays and funding problems for several years. In February, the government decided to begin construction of an 80-kilometer section of the pipeline that stretches from the Iranian border to Gwadar to avoid possible $18 billion in sanctions from Tehran.
On Tuesday, Washington said it did not support the continuation of the pipeline project and warned of the risk of sanctions when doing business with Tehran.
The remarks came after Oil Minister Musadik Malik said Islamabad would seek an exemption from US sanctions over the pipeline project.
“We will seek an exemption from US sanctions.” Pakistan cannot afford sanctions under the pipeline project,” Malik told reporters during an informal chat.
This was in contrast to the position of the State Department, whose spokesman said at a press briefing last week that there was no room for any discussion or apology from a third party.
The issue became a hot topic after US diplomat Donald Lu said during detailed testimony before a US House subcommittee that Washington was determined to prevent construction of the pipeline. It was here that Lu noted that Islamabad had not asked for a waiver of any US sanctions that the project might attract.
At a press briefing on Wednesday, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was asked about US warnings about the pipeline, when a reporter pointed out that “it looks like the United States has left it nowhere to meet the energy crisis.”
Miller said in his response that helping Pakistan solve its energy crisis is a “priority” for the United States.
“We have supported the addition of approximately 4,000 megawatts of clean energy capacity in Pakistan. Our projects have dramatically increased the energy capacity of the country and today supply the homes of millions of Pakistanis,” he said.
“Furthermore, through the United States-Pakistan Green Alliance—a transformative initiative between our two countries—we are working together to address today’s most pressing environmental challenges, particularly in water management, climate-smart agriculture, and renewable energy,” he said.
