Pipe Dreams - All Gas and no substance --JPR
Making the gas pipeline safer
dawn.com
By Dr Syed Ali Wasif
NEW DELHI's apprehensions on the international guarantees which Islamabad has pledged for the protection of the proposed Iranian gas pipe-line to India enroute Pakistan are not only baseless but also do not conform to the generally accepted international legal norms and practices.
Feasible, economical, lucrative for pakistan - Yes. Safest - not so -JPR
The transfer of gas from Iran to India via Pakistan is considered the safest, most economical and along the shortest of all routes according to the feasibility studies conducted by leading international oil companies.
The pipeline is inside Pakistan. How would Iran restrain pakistan?. Consider this. The US Reconnaissance plane is in China under its control. How could the American's get their plane without China's permission? -JPR
Firstly, because this would be a tripartite agreement involving Iran as the main player which would restrain Pakistan from any attempt at obstructing or disrupting the flow of gas in case of a military conflict with India. Secondly, international guarantees once given by Pakistan would immediately ensue international responsibility of the states under international law.
Though, the Iranian national security council's secretary, Dr Hasan Rouhani, has set priorities on his agenda, one presumes that the foremost was the trans-Pakistan gas pipeline project. For sure, the visit of Dr Rouhani was indicative of the significance of the issue. His arrival in Pakistan just after the visit of the Indian prime minister to Tehran was indeed significant.
There might have been some fresh proposals from the Iranian side after deliberations with Mr Vajpayee vis-a-vis major issues including the gas pipeline project, the Iranian role in the Kashmir dispute, the unending Afghan civil war and the Palestinian crisis. Despite repeated Iranian assurance, India has expressed reservations over the passage of the proposed pipeline through Pakistan. Mr Vajpayee, while addressing a press conference in Tehran, had voiced his apprehensions about the safety of project.(Vajpayee knows the pakis first hand - JPR)
$14 billion to pakistan will go into the pockets of oligarchs, military and military equipment and will not aid the deserving pakistanis. --JPR
The transfer of gas from Iran to India via Pakistan is considered the safest, most economical and along the shortest of all routes according to the feasibility studies conducted by leading international oil companies. Iran has offered $8 billion to Pakistan as the transit fee for laying a 2672-km trans-Pakistan pipeline to India. This would entail an estimated income of $14 billion to Pakistan in 30 years including $8 billion transit fee, $1 billion taxes and $5 billion as savings.
This multi-billion dollar gas export project is economically viable for all the three states. For cash-strapped Pakistan, it's a blessing in terms of cash and gas. For poverty-stricken India, it's economical and conveniently accessible. For Iran, it's a three-pronged diplomatic manoeuvre aimed at boosting its politico-economic relations with India and a renewal of traditionally warm and cordial relations with Pakistan.
Pakistan can not be trusted. There are elements in pakistan to whom a treaty means nothing. The gas can easily be contaminated with poisonous substances. It helps save lives to be paranoid when it comes to pakistan. Why pay the pakistanis to buy trouble? -JPR
India's fear is based on the mistrust created by the Kargil episode. But, it must realize that the situation has, by now, changed.
Listing parallels like demilitarization of moon is idiotic. If the Oligarchy of pakistan can go to the moon to destroy its perceived enemy , it will do it. We are dealing with rabid ideology and attitude here.-JPR
In addition, there are a number of treaties calling for demilitarization of certain strategic areas like the 1947 Agreement between the USSR and Italy on the demilitarization of specific Mediterranean islands, the 1959 treaty on the Antarctic and the 1967 treaty for demilitarization of the moon and other celestial bodies. |
