Pakistan on Thursday reiterated its backing to the gas pipeline project between the South Asian nation and neighboring Iran amid American pressure to halt it.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokeswoman of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, stressed that the decision to proceed with the project was well within the rights of the country's sovereignty.
Her comments came during a press conference in Islamabad where she was asked to share the Ministry's views on US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu's recent statement wherein the American diplomat noted that Washington was trying to disrupt the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project.
Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, spokeswoman of the Pakistan Foreign Ministry, stressed that the decision to proceed with the project was well within the rights of the country's sovereignty.
Her comments came during a press conference in Islamabad where she was asked to share the Ministry's views on US Assistant Secretary of State Donald Lu's recent statement wherein the American diplomat noted that Washington was trying to disrupt the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project.
"Washington has not received any request from Islamabad regarding sanctions relief and therefore the efforts to stop Pakistan from Iran's gas project will continue," Lu told a Congressional Hearing earlier this week.
While the project has faced multiple delays since its inception in 2013, especially from the Pakistani side, Islamabad seemed to be now pushing to finish it as early as possible.
Earlier this month, Islamabad asserted that it was committed "to the Iran-Pakistan pipeline" despite American economic sanctions on the Shia-majority country.
Earlier this month, Islamabad asserted that it was committed "to the Iran-Pakistan pipeline" despite American economic sanctions on the Shia-majority country.