Page 10 - Pakistan Link - March 22, 2024

P10 - PAKISTAN LINK - MARCH 22, 2024 PAKISTAN
No Need for US Waiver to Build Gas pleted construction of 900 kilometers
n By Sarah Zaman 2010. While Iran claimed it had com-

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said Thursday of the pipeline on its side by 2011, con-
that it does not need a waiver from US Pipeline with Iran, Pakistan Says struction has not started on Pakistani
sanctions to build its portion of a pipe- side until now.
line to import natural gas from Iran. Islamabad suspended the project
“It is a segment of the pipeline caretaker government gave approval to multiple times as officials cited con-
which is being built inside Pakistani begin construction of an 80-kilometer cerns that Pakistan would invite US
territory. So, we do not believe that at section of the pipeline, largely to avoid sanctions for importing energy from
this point there is room for any dis- paying Iran billions of dollars in penal- Iran. Tehran faces US banking sanc-
cussion or waiver from a third party,” ties for years of delays on the $7 billion tions for its nuclear program.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, the Pakistani project. Over the years, Iran repeatedly
Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said Pipeline’s history threatened to take Pakistan into inter-
in response to a VOA question at the Pakistan and Iran have been in talks national arbitration and slap it with a
weekly news briefing. to build a gas pipeline between the two penalty of nearly $18 billion for breach
Donald Lu, US assistant secretary countries since the mid-1990s. of contract. Just as time was running
of state for South and Central Asia, The two sides signed a Gas Sales out for Islamabad to meet Tehran’s
said Wednesday that the department and Purchase Agreement in June 2009 deadline of commencing construction
was monitoring the planned pipeline for a pipeline that would supply 750 by March 2024, the country’s outgoing
between Iran and Pakistan. He told a million to 1 billion cubic feet per day government green-lighted the project.
hearing of the House Foreign Affairs of gas to energy-starved Pakistan from In the approved first phase, Paki-
Committee that Islamabad had not re- FILE - Iranian welders work on a pipeline to transfer natural gas from Iran to Pak- Iran’s South Pars Field. stan will construct an 80-kilometer
quested a sanctions waiver to conduct istan, in Chabahar, near the Pakistani border, southeastern Iran, March 11, 2013 The two sides held an inauguration section of the pipeline from its border
gas trade with Iran. ceremony at the border in 2013 for with Iran to its port city of Gwadar in
“We have also not heard from the for any waiver for American sanctions project,” Lu said. construction on the Pakistani side. Iran the southwestern province of Baloch-
government of Pakistan [on a] desire that would certainly result from such a Last month, Pakistan’s outgoing had already begun work on its side in istan… - VOA

New York Assembly Passes Resolution on

Collaboration with Sindh, Punjab

n By Nasim Haider ing friendship, mutual respect, and During that trip, the deputy
economic partnership that benefits speaker held meetings with the then-
NEW YORK: The New York State As- the citizens of all regions.” caretaker foreign minister Jalil Abbas
sembly passed a legislative resolution The important event was also wit- Jilani, caretaker Sindh chief minister
on Wednesday encouraging collabo- nessed by a number of Pakistanis. Maqbool Baqar, Senator Ishaq Dar,
ration between the US state and Paki- Earlier, during his visit to Paki- Senator Mushahid Hussain, Senator
stan’s Sindh and Punjab provinces. stan, New York State Assembly Dep- Waleed Iqbal, Senator Farooq Naek,
The resolution, however, does not uty Speaker Phil Ramos — in a video caretaker information minister Mur-
mention declaring New York a sister- statement — said: “We plan to return taza Solangi and caretaker health
state of both Punjab and Sindh. this April 2024 with New York State minister Dr Nadeem Jan. A view of the New York State Assembly. — Photo by author
The resolution stated: “The Legis- sister state resolution and several Ramos, during his visit, had also
lative Body further encourages con- other deliverables that we discussed addressed the Lahore Chamber of dustry to promote business ties… achieved in transforming collabo-
tinued collaboration between New during our historic trip.” Commerce, Karachi Chamber of As Ramos intends to visit Paki- ration into sister-state relationship
York State and the provinces of Pun- The visit Ramos mentioned was Commerce and Federation of Paki- stan again next month, APPAC has among New York, Sindh and Punjab.
jab and Sind, with the aim of foster- undertaken in November 2023. stan Chambers of Commerce and In- every hope that a milestone will be – The News

Cases Registered against called the army and government Pakistan Does Not Want Armed Conflict Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was also
asked about Pakistan’s strikes in Af-
wrong on the basis of his self-made
With Afghanistan, Says Khawaja Asif
Maulana Abdul Aziz, Wife religious ideas, which he later propa- (Continued from page 9) ghanistan during her weekly press
briefing in Islamabad on Thursday.
gated through social media with the past “favors” tie Kabul’s hands.
“If they [TTP] have done you a
purpose of publicizing the banned
According to Radio Pakistan,
terrorist outfit, Tehreek-i-Taliban favor and you’re grateful to them, she clarified it was not directed
Pakistan, and trying to encourage then control them. Don’t let them against the government and the in-
terrorism by terming it justified. start a war with us while living in stitutions or people of Afghanistan
He tried to demoralize the army your country, and you become their but it was against terrorist hideouts
and stir mutiny within its ranks, the ally,” VOA quoted him as saying. and sanctuaries.
FIR said, adding that his purpose “If they can harm us, then we’ll The report quoted her as saying
was to spread fear and terror among be forced to [retaliate],” the minis- that Pakistan had on multiple oc-
people and the law enforcers, and ter said, while expressing hope that casions shared concrete evidence
create differences between people, Afghanistan would meet the “sin- and intelligence with the Afghan
religious elements and forces. The gle demand” of reining in the TTP, authorities about the presence of
other case was registered against hence preventing the need for fu- terrorist sanctuaries inside Af-
Maulana Aziz’s wife on the com- ture military strikes from Pakistan. ghanistan.
plaint lodged by ASI Abdul Qayyum. Asif alleged that Kabul was let- Baloch said it was a reality that
According to the FIR, the ASI saw ting the TTP operate against Paki- terrorists, especially the TTP, had
a video on social media of Umme stan in a bid to prevent its members their basis in Afghanistan. “This
Hassan, the wife of Maulana Aziz, in from joining the militant Islamic is not just Pakistan’s assertion but
which she threatened the police and State group’s local chapter, known also confirmed by the international
administration. as the IS-Khorasan chapter. observers including reports by the
On the basis of her religious The VOA report also stated United Nations,” she said.
views, she said she would not allow that Asif “dismissed the lack of She further said that Pakistan
any cultural or musical program to public support from Beijing” on respected the sovereignty and ter-
take place in Islamabad even if the the strikes Pakistan conducted on ritorial integrity of Afghanistan
capital administration granted per- Monday. and was looking forward to work-
mission. “It’s not necessary that the world ing together to find joint solutions
ISLAMABAD: Separate cases were Aabpara police station, with one She had intervened unnecessar- must applaud us. What is in our in- in countering terrorism and pre-
registered against former Lal Mas- filed against Maulana Abdul Aziz in ily and with the help of her col- terest is enough for us. We are pro- venting any terrorist entity from
jid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz and response to a complaint lodged by leagues, disrupted such programs tecting our interest, irrespective of sabotaging bilateral relations be-
his wife under multiple sections of Constable Javaid Anjum. in the past and would do the same whether someone applauds us or tween the two countries.
various laws including Anti-Ter- The case was registered after in future as well, the FIR said, add- not,” the minister said. The FO spokesperson empha-
rorism Act (ATA), police said on Maulana Aziz criticized the armed ing that she had openly said that Strikes targeted terrorist sanctu- sized that the two countries should
Wednesday. forces in his sermon at Lal Masjid. she had weapons, including a Ka- aries: FO be partners in peace as well as
Both cases were registered with According to the FIR, the cleric lashnikov. - Dawn Meanwhile, FO Spokesperson against terrorism… - Dawn
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