The military minister said that Islamabad is on track to finish the project of building a gas pipeline between Iran and Pakistan.
President Ibrahim Raisi of Iran is scheduled to visit Pakistan this month. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif stated that Pakistan “makes decision regarding the project and is in a position to complete the [gas] pipeline project with Iran.”
Speaking on Monday’s Capital Talk shows, Asif stated, “We are constructing gas pipeline on our side from Gwadar to the Iranian border.”
Pakistan started building the 80km stretch of the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline from Gwadar to a location where it can be joined to the Iranian portion of the project earlier this month, according to a story published in The News.
The project, which has been delayed by almost 10 years and was originally scheduled to be completed in December 2014 and operationalized in January 2015, came to an abrupt end amid the outspoken hostility of the United States to the bilateral effort and threats of possible sanctions.
Given the ongoing tensions in the Middle East following Iran’s historic drone and missile attack on Israel, sources told earlier today that Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi is scheduled to visit Pakistan on April 22.
President Raisi, who is expected to travel with a high-level delegation and meet with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and the military leadership, is expected to arrive in Islamabad on May 1. The sources claim that Islamabad and Tehran have reached an agreement on aspects of the visit.
After a brief setback earlier this year, the two nations are still working to strengthen their collaboration, and this visit represents one more step in that direction.
The defence minister declared to Capital Talk host Hamid Mir that relations between Pakistan and Iran remain steady notwithstanding an earlier event, pointing to border tensions between the neighbouring countries in January. The initiative to build a gas pipeline advanced, further solidifying bilateral relations.
After Pakistan used stand-off weapons, killer drones, rockets, and loitering munitions to target terrorists within Iranian territory in retribution for Tehran’s cross-border operations, ties between the two nations deteriorated.
Speaking on other topics, the senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) described the coalition government’s primary priority as maintaining the nation’s economic stability.
When it came to the political landscape, he believed that if his party could stabilise the economy in a few months, then there would be no electoral danger to the administration.
Addressing a query, Asif added that Pakistan maintains strong relations with both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Israeli-Iranian tensions during the Gaza War
During that same talk programme, the defence minister denounced the Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, which resulted in the deaths of senior military official. With Israel attacking Iran’s consulate in flagrant breach of international law, Asif declared unequivocally that Iran is entitled to justice.
After the Israeli onslaught, he said, Pakistan was also anticipating a counterattack from Iran. He stated his opinion that providing support to the Palestinians led to the attack on the Iranian consulate. Pakistan firmly stands with the Palestinians, Asif stated.
There was a fear that Pakistan and other countries could be impacted by the escalating tensions in the Middle East. Asif went on, saying that nations that support Israel would also be consumed by the fires of war.
“The genocide against the Palestinian people must end, but we do not want tensions to rise,” Asif pleaded.
According to the defence minister, Pakistan is not under any pressure to recognise Israel, and the sacrifices made by the Palestinians will not be in vain; they will soon gain freedom.