Pakistan and Iran are forging ahead with plans to build a natural gas pipeline linking the two countries despite opposition from the United States.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan’s President at an airport near the nations’ border to sign the pipe’s inauguration yesterday. The leaders said the 2,700km gas pipeline will strengthen the economic, political and security relations between Tehran and Islamabad, reported Iran’s Fars News Agency.
Pakistan has been suffering from power shortages and clearly hopes the gas supply will counter these. The 785km long section on its territory began on Monday and the whole project could be finished within 15 months.
The United States has been spearheading sanctions against Iran to pressure it to drop alleged plans to develop nuclear weapons. It has warned the pipeline may affect its pressure on the Middle Eastern nation.
