IN olden times, the land of Persia, under the Parthian Empire, was connected to its eastern neighbours, South Asia and China by the great Silk Route. Caravans after caravans would ply the historic, 11,200 kilometre (7,000 miles) road, carrying silk from China, spices, precious stones, metals, jade from India and gold, silver goods, medicines and perfumes from Persia.

Times changed, and with it the ways, the means of transportation, likings and disliking, needs and requirements of people… but one thing stayed there, as it was in the bygone years, in the distant past, strong and powerful desire among cultures and civilisations to have a profound connection with one and others. As they say, ' where there is a will there is a way'–the will of the people invented a totally new, very modern, up-to-date way to revive that link again– which was once one of the most significant achievements in the history of world civilisation–it's a latest phenomenon, a complete product of our ' Brave New World'–a 56 inches diameter, 2,670 kilometre long gas pipeline with compressor stations along the way to allow for a flow of up to 3.2 billion cubic feet of gas a day. It would supply liquid energy to its old business partners in the east, Pakistan, India and maybe also to China, as she is interested in expanding the project up to China.

This modern-day version of grand Silk Route of yesteryears would originate from South Pars Gas Fields, Iran, pass through, Sindh and Balochistan, Pakistan, traversing some of the harshest terrains in the world, hot sun-burnt deserts, cold freezing up to 9,300 feet high mountains, under sub-zero winter temperatures creating the risk of freezing gas in pipeline, which will need special arrangements to permit the gas to flow freely, in result, making it the costliest business venture for the stakeholders – one million dollars for each kilometre, the total cost at $7 billion which could rise to $8 billion–ending in India.

It would bring both peace and prosperity not only in the region but in a way also to the world, calming nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India down, tying them in mutual business interests, lessening the chances of war, increasing the opportunities of living like civilised peaceful prosperous nations, making them able to spend more money upon their people not on monstrous war machines. In this sense it is not simply another gas pipeline, supplying energy from one country to another or from one region to other region, but, indeed a powerful means to achieve something great, something too high and sublime, like peace among peoples and prosperity at homes–which our troubled world needs so dearly.

The great Silk Route never faced any dangers to its security but only once in the Middle Ages, when the barbaric Mongols were trampling every sign of civilisation under their feet— the robbers, dacoits and bandits used to plunder the precious possessions of the caravans—otherwise no country or even no empire tried to halt the caravans of peace and prosperity. But, alas! In our 'enlightened times' the neo-cons sitting in the White House, mostly oil and gas giants working for their multinational companies' interests, are doing their best to block this highly lucrative project, putting every possible pressure upon India and Pakistan, hatching dangerous conspiracies.

It is an unwarranted interference in the affairs of regional states. It is the inherent right of sovereign states to expand economic relations with one another. No state has the right to impede the legitimate inter-state commerce. It is gratifying that Pakistan and India have decided to go ahead with the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project resisting America's overt and covert pressure.

As the owner of the world's second-largest proven natural gas reserves, Iran is keen to exploit this resource as a source of revenue. It is therefore pursuing gas export deals with a number of countries. It is an energy-rich nation while Pakistan and India are the energy-starved courtiers, with two of the fastest growing economies, need natural gas for their mills and factories to keep the momentum of economic growth going. With every passing day their needs in energy sector are growing and their own resources are too small to fulfil the ever-growing demands.

Pakistan's burgeoning domestic energy needs will double by 2010. The pipeline complex would boost industrial infrastructure, create jobs and help poverty alleviation in Balochistan and Sindh. Its gas reserves would be depleted by 2015 and the nation critically dependent on gas for domestic, agricultural and industrial purpose. The Balochistan province has seen political violence stemming from a strong sense of deprivation. The IPI project, says the US scholar George Perkovitch, is an "economically necessary, environmentally-friendly and security-enhancing initiative" that the US has long advocated.