TEHRAN, June 21: Iran will not sell its gas at knock-down rates to India and Pakistan, a senior oil official said on Wednesday amid a pricing dispute in talks over a planned pipeline.

“The price suggested by India and Pakistan is almost half of the price we offered,” deputy oil minister Mohammad-Hadi Nejad-Hosseinian said on state radio.

“If the two governments intend to subsidise their domestic gas, there is no reason for Iran to pay this subsidy,” he added.

The Iran-Pakistan-India gas project envisages a pipeline of about 2,600 kilometres that would help meet South Asia’s growing energy needs.

Quoted by the Iranian oil ministry’s Shana news agency, Nejad-Hosseinian said Iran was not desperate to sell its gas to India and Pakistan.

“The tripartite Peace Pipeline agreement is not an absolute obligation,” he said.

He also warned India and Pakistan that if the nuclear issue is resolved, other countries “will be the first customers of our gas (and will pay) even better prices.”

The official said there was also disagreement with India and Pakistan over the amount of gas to be exported.—AFP