According to Pakistani media reports cited by IRNA, Donald Lu during Tuesday’s meeting of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee of the House of Representatives reacted to a question about the US stance on the Iranian gas project and Pakistan's recent decision to go ahead with it.
While emphasizing America's opposition, Lu claimed that the project is not in the interest of Pakistan as international companies would not invest in it.
The US official did not, however, mention Pakistan’s discontent with Washington for obstructing the country to get easy and cost-effective energy.
In order to overcome the energy crisis, Islamabad should look for alternative instead of the Iranian project and clean energy is an effective solution, Lu said.
We are monitoring, the US official said, adding that “Washington has not received any request from Islamabad regarding sanctions relief, so our efforts to stop Pakistan from Iran's gas project will continue”.
Rhetoric-filled remarks came weeks after Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesperson said her country rejects any outside interference in its bilateral economic project.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, in a response to the US stance on the joint gas project between Islamabad and Tehran, said the two neighbors do not need to consult with a third country to build a pipeline on their soil.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Ministry of Petroleum also issued a statement saying that the completion of the joint gas project would strengthen the country’s energy security and announced that the Energy Committee of the Government of Pakistan has agreed to build an 81-kilometer pipeline from Gwadar port to the Iran-Pakistan common border.
The pipe-laying project from the Iranian borderline to Gwadar port in Pakistan's Balochistan province is estimated to cost 45 billion Pakistani rupees, which will provide the country with the opportunity to import cost-effective gas from Iran.
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