India, Pak, Iran fail to reach pact on gas pricing

Differences over the price of natural gas to be imported through the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline persisted on Friday.

Differences over the price of natural gas to be imported through the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) pipeline persisted on Friday, but the three countries agreed to appoint an international consultant to look into the issue.

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"The three countries have agreed to appoint an international consultant to look into the pricing of gas," Petroleum Secretary MS Srinivasan told reporters after the talks between the three countries.

Iranian Deputy Oil Minister MH Nejad Hossenian said all sides insisted on the importance of the project and further talks would be held based on the consultant's report.

The consultant, to be appointed by the three countries, would submit its report in one month's time, after which government officials would meet again in Tehran.

Pakistan Oil Secretary Ahmed Waqar said Pakistan and India were one on the issue and were looking at a price affordable and reasonable to their domestic markets.

"We are pursuing a bilateral (Iran-Pakistan) pipeline and a trilateral (IPI) pipeline in a parallel manner. If for any reason, India does not join the IPI project, Pakistan would go ahead with the bilateral project subject to the price being affordable," he said.