CPM flays US on gas pipe plan

The CPI(M) came out strongly today against the reported US pressure on Pakistan to prevent its participation in the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

India and Pakistan should not give up the project, and reject the US "pressure" , the party said. The CPI(M) also asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to convey this stand to Washington during his upcoming visit.

Observing that the US was "stepping up pressure" to scuttle the project, the CPI(M) politburo said in a statement that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently conveyed to Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri that the project "could violate the US Iran and Libya Sanctions Act."

"This blatant pressure by the US should be rejected by both India and Pakistan," the party said adding the US "pressure" came in the wake of Iran, Pakistan and India setting up a joint working group to take forward the pipeline project to bring Iranian gas to India.

The Prime Minister during his visit to Washington next month "must convey India's stand that it will not give up this project due to the US pressure," the CPI(M) said.

According to Pak media reports, while Kasuri at his meeting with Rice made out a strong case for Islamabad opting for the project, Rice told him that the project could violate Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 of US (ILSA), which forbids more than $20 million investment in the Iranian oil sector.

Rice informed Kasuri that the project was against the US laws and the violator could be deprived of American economic assistance and might also face sanctions, a Pakistan daily Dawn had reported.

Petroleum Minister Aiyer has been lobbying hard for the pipeline as one of his pet projects. He has, in fact, already earned the ire of the external affairs ministry by poaching one of their senior officers just for this purpose.

At this point, if Pakistan backs out under the US pressure it may mean a shelving of the project.