By IRNA,
Islamabad : British Foreign Secretary William Hague Wednesday did not oppose 7.6 billion dollars Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline when he was asked about project in his press conference in Islamabad.
“It is Pakistan’s sovereign decision,” was the response of William Hague when he was asked during a joint press conference with Pakistan Foreign Secretary Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
The British Foreign Secretary however said the UK supports the UN restrictions as well as the EU additional sanctions on Iran.
“These are peaceful and legitimate pressure on Iran about its nuclear program,” William Hague said of the UN and EU sanctions on Iran.
Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said during the press conference that Pakistan is taking several measures to overcome energy crisis and Iran gas pipeline is one of the options.
On Tuesday Pakistan Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani made it clear that his country is not bound to follow the US laws regarding restrictions on Iran.
Speaking at a gathering of parliamentarians Gilani said that Pakistan will follow international laws in regard to gas pipeline with Iran and not the United States.
The US Special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke Sunday warned Pakistan against the multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline intended to bring the much-needed natural gas to the energy starved country.
Pakistan and Iran formally struck $7.5 billion gas pipeline deal in Tehran on June 13 under which the Islamic republic will supply Pakistan with natural gas from mid-2014.
The US has always opposed the Iran gas pipeline with energy-starved Pakistan and in April US Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake urged Pakistan to reconsider its deal with Iran.
The pipeline was initially mooted to carry gas from Iran to Pakistan and on to India. India withdrew from negotiations last year after signing a nuclear deal with the United States, but has kept open the option of rejoining the project at a later stage.
Iran will export more than 21 million cubic metres (742 million cubic feet) of natural gas daily, according to the deal.