No pressure from US on Pak over gas pipeline project with Iran: Official

Islamabad, Mar.27 (ANI): Pakistan has rejected reports regarding there being pressure from the United States on it to back out from the gas pipeline project with Iran.

Pakistan Petroleum Ministry's Secretary Kamran Lashari said Islamabad and Tehran are close to signing the letter of sovereign guarantee following which none of the two countries would be able to withdraw its hand from the project.

Lashari said Pakistan is also in negotiations with China for technical support needed for laying the inter-country gas pipeline.

According to sources, Beijing has shown interest in the project and wants the pipeline to be extended to China from Pakistan.

China has also reportedly agreed to invest 2.5 billion dollars on the project initially.

A Chinese delegation is likely to visit Islamabad in April to ascertain the viability of the pipeline, The Dawn quoted the sources, as saying.

According to the gas sales purchase agreement signed between Pakistan and Iran, Tehran would be providing 750 million cubic feet of gas per day to Islamabad for the next 25 years. (ANI)