Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has said Pakistan gives top priority to the overland gas pipeline project for the supply of gas to Pakistan from Iran and Turkmenistan, and then carry it forward to India to meet its energy requirements. He was talking to Mani Shankhar Aiyar, Indian Minister of Petroleum, who called on him at the Prime Minister Secretariat on Monday, to discuss the gas pipeline project.
Prime Minister Aziz said: "The pipeline is an independent project, which should not be linked to any other issue, so that Pakistan and India could focus on the project, as well as other related issues, including pipeline structure, financing, tariff etc".
He said Pakistan will have to take a decision soon about its energy supplies to sustain the growth, meet future energy requirements and provide energy security.
The premier expressed the hope that both Pakistan and India would work closely and give top priority to the completion of pipeline project as early as possible.
Mani Shankar Aiyar termed his meeting with Prime Minister Aziz encouraging and fruitful and thanked him for his valuable input and constructive approach.
He said the meeting had taken the project sufficiently forward and there would be a greater intensity of interaction between the two countries both at the ministerial as well as official levels.
Amanullah Khan Jadoon, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources, and Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan Shiv Shankar Menon were also present during the meeting.