Pakistan has offered to buy the Indian share of gas from the proposed $ 7.5 billion pipeline project involving India, Iran and Pakistan itself. Islamabad claimed that India seems reluctant to move the venture forward especially after signing the nuclear deal with the U.S. In order to discuss the new proposal, a team of energy experts will travel to Iran on December 29. The team will be led by the Adviser to the Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources, Asim Hussain.

 

Report says that the energy team has thoroughly discussed the deal with President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and received the green signal from them. According to reports, the soon-to-visit Pakistani delegation will try to persuade the Iranian authorities to ink an agreement to transfer the Indian share of gas to Pakistan in the next few months.

 

Although Pakistan is expecting to attain success on gas issue, Iran still wants India to be a part of the deal to counter growing US influence on its old ally in the energy sector. Apart from it, recently Iran has announced its plans to link the gas prices with that of crude oil in the Gulf market. Iran is likely sell one million cubic feet of gas at 80 dollars. Also, the price of gas will not remain fixed but will fluctuate in accordance with the price of oil.