March, 29 2005	Tuesday	18 Safar 1426

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NEW DELHI, March 28: Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said on Monday he will visit Islamabad in May to discuss the Iran-India gas pipeline, and also prospects for bilateral cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector. “Pakistan prime minister has invited me to visit Islamabad in April, but as the date proposed by him does not suit me, I have scheduled my trip to the second fortnight of May,” Mr Aiyar said before leaving for Saudi Arabia.

“I want to go to Pakistan after the Indo-Iran technical and commercial workshop taking place during April end, but before my Iran trip in June.” he said.

Mr Aiyar has scheduled his visit to Pakistan before his Teheran itinerary in June to seal a deal for import of natural gas from Iran via a 2600-km on land pipeline, 760-km of which would pass through Pakistan.

India had earlier maintained that it would deal only with Iran on the pipeline contract, leaving it to Teheran to get the Pakistani transit rights and guarantee of gas delivery at Indian borders.

Mr Aiyar said he would also like to visit Balochistan where his wife was born, and Lahore where he was born.