Pak-Iran gas pipeline project can’t be completed, NA told

 

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has told the National Assembly that the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project cannot be completed due to international sanctions on Iran.
He said this while replying to a question from MNA Shazia Marri during the Question-Hour here on Friday. No further implementation of the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project is in progress as international sanctions stand slapped on Iran, said the minister.

He said even if the project was accomplished, Pakistan could not acquire gas till the sanctions were scaled back. The previous government had also not implemented this project, he said. He told the House that work on the LNG terminal had started. The terminal will become functional by November 25 this year. No talks have been held with Qatar on the pricing formula so far, he added.

To another question, he said the price of petroleum products will be worked out for importing the LNG. Replying to a question from Naeema Kishwar Khan, Parliamentary Secretary Raja Javed Ikhlas told the House that selling of arms to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was not under consideration. No license for establishment of any ordnance factory in the KPK had been issued to anyone except Wah Factory.

Parliamentary Secretary Shahzadi Omarzadi told the House that she expected the import of LNG would start by the end of this year. Talks are continuing with Qatar for importing LNG, she added.

Parliamentary Secretary Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal told the House that the Supreme Court had given five months for conducting the Local Bodies (LB) polls and these elections will be held within this stipulated period.

State Minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmad said the SC had ordered during the previous general elections that the right to vote be given to overseas Pakistanis. He added that a bill in this regard was under debate in the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice and further progress will be made in line with the committee’s report. The Election Commission of Pakistan and Pakistani embassies functioning in other countries have also been informed in this regard, he said. The government wants that the overseas Pakistanis are given the right to vote in 2018, he added.

Gadani Power Park to be completed on war footing: Dar

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance Senator Ishaq Dar on Sunday directed Economic Affair Division Secretary Nargis Sethi to complete the Gadani Power Park on war footing.

This has been disclosed by Economic Affairs Division (EAD) Secretary Nargis Sethi who is also Chief Executive Officer of the project of paramount importance here in a meeting with Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar about issues pertaining to Gadani Power Park.

Nespak (National Engineering Services of Pakistan) is preparing PC-I for the whole project of 6,600MW Gadani Power Park in Balochistan that will also include construction of jetty and related infrastructure.

Nargis Sethi briefed the finance minister about the broad framework of the project. She informed that the site of the Park was ideal as it converged at the available industrial infrastructure at Hub and very close to Karachi.

She said that the Park would include ten coal-based power projects, ash disposal units, residential area, schools and play areas. She informed the finance minister that Nespak is preparing PC-I for the whole project which would include construction of jetty and related infrastructure.

The finance minister emphasised that as this was the flagship project of the PML-N government therefore it should be placed on fast track.

He said that ultra super technology should be used and detailed study from independent sources should be carried out. He said that the resource envelope was limited and they had to operate within the available resources.

He underlined that domestic private sector resources would be encouraged on BOT basis. He appreciated that this was the least cost energy generation model which would meet the short to medium term energy requirements.

The finance minister also directed the IPDF (infrastructure project development facility) to work in close collaboration with project director at Gadani project.

\He urged for putting on fast track Jamshoro coal fired project for which funding was already available from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).