Peace and power
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Editorial, The News International, Pakistan
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The agreement reached between President Asif Ali Zardari and his Iranian counterpart Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad under which Iran will supply 750 million cubic feet of gas a day to Pakistan over the next 25 years through a 2,100 kilometre-long pipeline marks the dawn of a new era. The agreement is a step towards the closer cooperation between nations in the region which is crucial for development and progress in the present age. The same theme was reflected in the Teheran Declaration also signed on the occasion between Islamabad, Kabul and Teheran, in which a commitment has been made to combat extremism and the drug trade. The issue of extremism and the terrorism it generates is of course crucial. It can at present never be far from our minds. There is no doubt that it can be dealt with only when nations agree to work together. The assertion of a willingness to do so is especially important in the Afghanistan-Pakistan context, given how closely the militants that operate in both nations are connected. Only cooperation between the two countries can make it possible to thwart them. The issue of terrorism is also significant in the context of the pipeline, which is to run in equal parts between both Iran and Pakistan. Issues of security will need to be tackled given the terrorist threat posed to the line, a major portion of which in Pakistan will run through the restive province of Balochistan. It is not yet clear how Pakistan intends to meet this fairly formidable challenge. Policing every inch of the pipeline will obviously be no simple task.
There is a great deal to be gained through agreements that aim to share natural resources on a commercial basis. Islamabad remains optimistic India could still join a project originally known as the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline – a situation that would bring economic benefits to Pakistan – but has said the diameter of the pipeline will be reduced if New Delhi opted not to do so. There is optimism that the flow of gas across the border could begin by the middle of 2010. This of course is excellent news for Pakistan, which continues to face a power crunch. The gas from Iran would be used to generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity and could thus play a crucial part in solving the energy crisis that has crippled industry and caused a widespread loss of employment almost everywhere in the country. The pipeline deal, and the spirit that underlies it, thus offers a cause for optimism – and this of course is much needed in a time when quite often too little of it seems to be around.
Source
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
The agreement reached between President Asif Ali Zardari and his Iranian counterpart Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad under which Iran will supply 750 million cubic feet of gas a day to Pakistan over the next 25 years through a 2,100 kilometre-long pipeline marks the dawn of a new era. The agreement is a step towards the closer cooperation between nations in the region which is crucial for development and progress in the present age. The same theme was reflected in the Teheran Declaration also signed on the occasion between Islamabad, Kabul and Teheran, in which a commitment has been made to combat extremism and the drug trade. The issue of extremism and the terrorism it generates is of course crucial. It can at present never be far from our minds. There is no doubt that it can be dealt with only when nations agree to work together. The assertion of a willingness to do so is especially important in the Afghanistan-Pakistan context, given how closely the militants that operate in both nations are connected. Only cooperation between the two countries can make it possible to thwart them. The issue of terrorism is also significant in the context of the pipeline, which is to run in equal parts between both Iran and Pakistan. Issues of security will need to be tackled given the terrorist threat posed to the line, a major portion of which in Pakistan will run through the restive province of Balochistan. It is not yet clear how Pakistan intends to meet this fairly formidable challenge. Policing every inch of the pipeline will obviously be no simple task.
There is a great deal to be gained through agreements that aim to share natural resources on a commercial basis. Islamabad remains optimistic India could still join a project originally known as the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline – a situation that would bring economic benefits to Pakistan – but has said the diameter of the pipeline will be reduced if New Delhi opted not to do so. There is optimism that the flow of gas across the border could begin by the middle of 2010. This of course is excellent news for Pakistan, which continues to face a power crunch. The gas from Iran would be used to generate 5,000 megawatts of electricity and could thus play a crucial part in solving the energy crisis that has crippled industry and caused a widespread loss of employment almost everywhere in the country. The pipeline deal, and the spirit that underlies it, thus offers a cause for optimism – and this of course is much needed in a time when quite often too little of it seems to be around.
Source
Labels: Iran Pakistan Gas Pipeline, Power
posted @ 9:49 AM,
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