ISLAMABAD: Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed on Monday informed the National Assembly that work on the Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline Project could not be started due to international sanctions on Iran.

Replying to a question during the question hour, the minister said Pakistan was ready to complete the gas pipeline project in 30 months once international sanctions on Iran were lifted.

He said 759 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) gas would be imported from Iran, but its price had not been determined yet.

Replying to a supplementary question, Mr Ahmed said funds were being released to the already approved gas supply projects in various areas of the country. Replying to a question, the minister said there were 44 driving training centres of the Motorway Police. After 45 days of training, a test was conducted and licences were issued to successful candidates only.

He said National Highway 45 (N-45) starts from Nowshera and ends at Chitral. The government intends to construct the Malakand crossing that consists of 6.4 kilometres of approach roads and two tunnels, he said. Apart from Malakand Tunnel, three road sections of N-45 have been picked up with the financial assistance of Exim Bank of South Korea, he said.

He said PC-I of the scheme had been approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (Ecnec). He added that the selection of consultants was in progress while the issue of advance procurement to build the third section (Kalkatak-Chitral) had been taken up with the Economic Affairs Divisions and concurrence sought from Exim Bank of South Korea.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2017