Thaindian News

Islamabad, April 2(ANI): Pakistani security agencies have reportedly conveyed their concerns to the government over a proposed aerial survey of the three-billion-dollar Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline route by foreign consultants.

Informed sources said that the security agencies had told the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources that it should have sought security clearance before taking the decision for the survey- particularly in Balochistan- because such a job done by foreign consultants could compromise national interests.

Under the petroleum policy and other rules, any aerial survey for the identification of minerals and oil and gas deposits should be done by the Geological Survey of Pakistan in coordination with security agencies, said an official.

“Aerial survey of Balochistan by a foreign consultant would be the last thing the security establishment would allow to happen,” the Dawn quoted the official, as saying.

The companies associated with Sui gas were planning to complete the physical survey of the pipeline route in 8 to 10 months, but the Petroleum Ministry decided to award the contract for the survey and Front End Engineering Design (FEED) to a foreign consultant in a joint venture with the National Engineering Services of Pakistan.

When contacted, the Interstate Gas Company’s Managing Director Hilal A. Raza said that he was not aware of the security agencies’ concern, and instead added that the government was moving quickly to award the survey and the FEED contract to ILF, a German firm.

In reply to a question, Raza said that the aerial survey and engineering design would be done by the ILF and security clearance would be sought before the actual work got under way.

He said a negotiation committee had held a meeting with the foreign consultants on Thursday to resolve some contractual issues in order to meet the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules.

Meanwhile, an official said that the commencement of the survey and the FEED was being delayed because of some taxation and security-related issues, which could attract penalties from Iran, starting with about 200 million dollars by December 2011.

“The real worry is that Iran may not restrict itself to just penalty; it may demand the construction cost of the pipeline from South Pars field to Sistan,” the official pointed out. (ANI)