WASHINGTON: The United States urged Pakistan on Thursday not to go in the direction that leads to sanctions as Islamabad prepares to conclude a gas pipeline deal with Iran.

Asked to comment on the issue, US State Department’s spokesperson Victoria Nuland said the United States had already made it clear that the proposed pipeline would violate US sanctions. “We have made it absolutely clear to our Pakistan counterparts” that the proposed deal will violate US sanction laws, Ms Nuland said.

“Iran is not a reliable partner,” said the US official while acknowledging that Pakistan has “a lot of energy requirements.”

The US, she said, was aware of these requirements and was “working in close partnership” with Pakistan to find “better ways” to meet those needs.

The United States was investing in large scale energy projects in Pakistan, including one that would add some 900 megawatts of power to thegrid by 2013, enough for an estimated two million households, she said.

The US also helped Pakistan improve power generation capacity at Tarbela dam.