PM made no announcement to continue Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline, says Bilawal

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ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan for not making any announcement to continue the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline during his recent trip to Iran.

“Despite his visit to Iran, no announcement was made by the PM to continue President Zardari’s Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline. Given our energy needs, ever-increasing price of gas and unequal load-shedding sad that govt also caving to international pressure instead of putting Pakistan first,” Bilawal tweeted.

During PM Imran’s recent trip to Iran, President Hassan Rouhani said his country was ready to meet the oil and gas requirements of Pakistan, adding that Iran had already taken measures to construct a gas pipeline to the Pakistani border.

He said Iran was also ready to increase exports of electricity to Pakistan.

Emphasising that "no third country can harm the brotherly and close relations between the two countries", Rouhani said the two sides had agreed to bolster their trade and economic relations and to set up a barter committee so that goods and other items could be exchanged.

The president said Iran was also interested in establishing links between Gwadar and Chahbhar ports in order to strengthen the bilateral trade relations.