December 24, 2006	Sunday	Zilhaj 02, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 23: President Gen Pervez Musharraf has said that no pressure will be tolerated on the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline project.

Talking to Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri here on Saturday, the president said Pakistan wanted positive development on the project and hoped that the pricing issue would soon be resolved among the three countries.

Mr Kasuri briefed the president about his meetings during his recent visit to Iran with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.

The president said Pakistan urgently needed energy as it was vital for fast pace of industrial development and talks in this regard were under way with other countries.

However, it did not mean that Pakistan was not interested in IPI project, he said.

President Musharraf expressed the hope that India would show its interest in the completion of the project.

However, if India would not be a part, then also the project would be completed, he said.

On the Iranian nuclear programme issue, the president said Pakistan supported talks between the European Union and Iran and wanted a diplomatic solution to the problem. Use of force would only destabilise the entire region, he said.