India adopting delaying tactics on IPI proj: Pak

Islamabad, Feb 8: Sources in Pakistan's Ministry of Law have accused India of adopting delaying tactics in signing the landmark tripartite Gas Sales Purchase Agreement (GSPA), involving Iran, Pakistan and India. Pakistan claims that it has been inviting India to hold the talks for settling the issues of the transit fee for gas transportation, but says the latter has never responded.

Sources further said Pakistan had offered to talk about the transit fee on February 7 in Islamabad, but India neither declined nor accepted the offer. Pakistan and Iran may sign the Gas Sales Purchase Agreement (GSPA) in Tehran at the end of February on the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project. The Daily Times quoted sources as saying that Iran has proposed February 24 as the date for the signing of the pact.

Pakistan had earlier proposed January 25 as the date for signing of the GSPA on the IPI in Abu Dhabi. Tehran told Pakistan that it wanted to sign the agreement in Tehran with the new Pakistan Government.

The Pakistan Law Ministry has vetted the draft of the agreement.

ANI