Baloch insurgency can ring death knell for Indo-Iran gas pipeline
Baloch insurgency can ring death knell for Indo-Iran gas pipeline: "Baloch insurgency can ring death knell for Indo-Iran gas pipeline:
[World News]: Islamabad, Feb 5 : It's a known fact that all is not quiet on Pakistan's Western front. But what perhaps is not known is that the simmering tension in Pakistan's Balochistan province is practically threatening to turn plans for the Indo-Iran gas pipeline via Pakistan topsy-turvy.
The Daily Times quoted a report in the Wall Street Journal as saying that the growing insurgency in Balochistan has the possibility of completely threatening plans for a transnational pipeline delivering natural gas from Iran to Pakistan and India.
Since a large part of the proposed four billion dollar pipeline will pass through large parts of Balochistan, and Baloch nationalist have recently been stepping up attacks on Pakistani government targets, the Pakistan Federal government is wary over matters relating to the security of the project.
Though the project has huge economic and political potential for India, as not only would Islamabad be netting a clean 500 million dollars annually from the project, but also, as Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said, the project has the possibility of easing Indo-Pak tensions, experts believe that under the present circumstances, there was very little possibility of the project seeing light.
"In the present situation, one cannot guarantee the safeguard of the pipeline," the paper quoted a Pakistani expert involved in the project as saying.
Pakistani officials further said that though Islamabad was beefing up its military presence in the province to meet the threat, with Pakistani military police setting up checkpoints and paramilitary troops patrolling the streets of Quetta, the situation is deteriorating with each passing day.
"They are well armed and well trained in guerrilla war. The situation is serious," the paper quoted a senior Pakistani security official as saying. (ANI)"
[World News]: Islamabad, Feb 5 : It's a known fact that all is not quiet on Pakistan's Western front. But what perhaps is not known is that the simmering tension in Pakistan's Balochistan province is practically threatening to turn plans for the Indo-Iran gas pipeline via Pakistan topsy-turvy.
The Daily Times quoted a report in the Wall Street Journal as saying that the growing insurgency in Balochistan has the possibility of completely threatening plans for a transnational pipeline delivering natural gas from Iran to Pakistan and India.
Since a large part of the proposed four billion dollar pipeline will pass through large parts of Balochistan, and Baloch nationalist have recently been stepping up attacks on Pakistani government targets, the Pakistan Federal government is wary over matters relating to the security of the project.
Though the project has huge economic and political potential for India, as not only would Islamabad be netting a clean 500 million dollars annually from the project, but also, as Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said, the project has the possibility of easing Indo-Pak tensions, experts believe that under the present circumstances, there was very little possibility of the project seeing light.
"In the present situation, one cannot guarantee the safeguard of the pipeline," the paper quoted a Pakistani expert involved in the project as saying.
Pakistani officials further said that though Islamabad was beefing up its military presence in the province to meet the threat, with Pakistani military police setting up checkpoints and paramilitary troops patrolling the streets of Quetta, the situation is deteriorating with each passing day.
"They are well armed and well trained in guerrilla war. The situation is serious," the paper quoted a senior Pakistani security official as saying. (ANI)"
posted by JBOC | 8:57 AM
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