Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar on Tuesday denied any differences within the government on the $4.16-billion Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline and said New Delhi was going ahead with the project as scheduled.
Differences over the price of natural gas to be imported through the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline persisted on Friday, but the three countries agreed to appoint an international consultant to look into the issue.
Pakistan and Iran are holding three-day talks in Islamabad on the multi-billion dollar Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project though India is not participating in the parleys as differences on some key issues remain to be settled.
With External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee set to visit Iran on February 6, there will be more than one pair of eyes watching the visit closely.
Iran's energy counsellor in India Ainollah Souri says that Iran will send its gas all over the world, and it is up to India to decide whether it wants a share of it.
India has slipped two places on the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap index to 129th place, while Iceland retained its top position in the rankings published on Wednesday. Within South Asia, India was ranked fifth after Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, while Pakistan was ranked last. Globally, Sudan was ranked last on the index of 146 countries, while Pakistan slipped three places to 145th.
Talks on the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project are in the final stage where the technical aspects are being looked into, according to Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Reza Kasai'i Zadeh.
'I said, fellas, come on, let's make a deal, let's do some trading, let's not trade nuclear missiles, let's trade the things that you make so beautifully, and they both have very powerful leaders, very strong leaders, smart leaders, and it all stopped.'
The directive from 'above' has come to the petroleum ministry on the eve of the departure of the Indian delegation to Tehran for a decisive last round of the trilateral negotiations scheduled to be held there later this week.
A major earthquake measuring 7.8 on the richter scale rocked the Iran-Pakistan border on Tuesday, tremors of which were experienced in North India, including New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat.
Petroleum Minister Murli Deora after a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Gholam Hosein Nozari for talks on the $7.5 billion Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project said there were 'some minor problems' which have been sorted out.
Iran may put the $22 billion deal to sell liquefied natural gas to India on the backburner as New Delhi refuses to re-open the contract sealed two years ago, according to an assessment by the petroleum ministry.
In a new twist to negotiations on the much-delayed Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, Tehran wants legal immunity in case of armed conflict disrupting natural gas supplies through the proposed line.
'...rectification has to happen then and there, and that takes additional time.'
'Victims of terrorism do not sit together with its perpetrators to discuss terrorism.'
'The bigger challenge and dilemma for Pakistan would be if the US and Saudi Arabia go full throttle against Iran and enforce regime change in Tehran.' 'That would be bad news for Pakistan, especially with the current instability in Balochistan,' notes Brigadier Narender Kumar (retd).
Pakistan will go ahead with the multi-billion-dollar pipeline Iran-Pakistan-India project to carry Iranian gas even if India decides not to join it, President Pervez Musharraf has said.
Pakistan says it will go with the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline despite skepticism over the project from the United States.
It is the first time in nearly nine years that India's foreign minister travelled to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remained tense over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
The Indian men's kabaddi team thrashed arch-rival Pakistan 61-14 on Friday to storm into the final of the Asian Games.
A major earthquake measuring 7.8 on the richter scale rocked the Iran-Pakistan border on Tuesday, tremors of which were experienced in North India, including New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.
Besides other issues, lack of pact between India and Pakistan on the price of the gas led to the delay in the project.
A major earthquake measuring 7.8 on the richter scale rocked the Iran-Pakistan border on Tuesday, tremors of which were experienced in North India, including New Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.
'The struggle of insurgents and pro-independence political activists is fuelled by a deep conviction that not only is a free Balochistan possible, but they also believe that Pakistan will inevitably break apart, leading to Balochistan's independence.'
On July 2 or July 6, the Dalai Lama will reveal his mind on his successor. This makes Beijing extremely nervous as the Communist regime fully realises the importance of controlling the next Dalai Lama, points out Claude Arpi.
Opposing India's continued interest in the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project, an influential US lawmaker Gary Ackerman wants New Delhi to do more than "just implement the United Nations approved sanctions" to "isolate" Tehran on its nuclear programme.
'They should come to Pakistan. It's not fair that they do not come to Pakistan. The Indian team is much better than us. We have a beautiful hotel just across the stadium. If Indians come it will send a good message that we are good neighbours.'
'By annoying the Arabs and cozying up to Iran, Pakistan may end up losing Arab economic support, annoying the Americans and increase Shia-Sunni tensions domestically,' Colonel Anil A Athale (retd) points out.
At the same time, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said it is a matter between Iran and Pakistan.
Taking to Twitter, United Nations Human Right Council said, 'At its 35th special session, the @UN Human Rights Council decided to create a new fact-finding mission to investigate alleged #HumanRightsViolations in the Islamic Republic of #Iran related to the protests that began on 16 September 2022.'
"The Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project is one of the most important economic projects in the region, which will bring extensive benefits for the three countries," Ambassador Mashallah Shakeri said. Pointing out that the measures taken by Pakistan and Iran showed their "firm will" for executing the project, Shakeri told a local news agency that the bilateral agreement between the two countries will be finalised by January 25.
After a two-year lull, India has proposed to resume talks with Iran on importing gas through a pipeline passing through Pakistan, but the Persian Gulf state wants the meeting to happen in Tehran.
A day after sealing final pacts with Iran on a long-talked gas pipeline, Pakistan on Monday said it will welcome India joining the project and will guarantee safe delivery of the fuel.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is set to grace the upcoming Republic Day celebration in the national capital as the Chief Guest, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has accused Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi of raising questions on sensitive defence matters in Parliament after his marriage to a British citizen. Sarma alleged that Gogoi's wife, Elizabeth Colburn, has links with the Pakistani establishment, including working for an organisation allegedly a front for the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Gogoi has rejected the allegations as "baseless" and said the BJP is trying to divert attention from its own failures.
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