KARACHI: Pakistan and Russia on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Moscow for the construction of the marine gas pipeline, the Russian Ministry of Energy confirmed to Arab News.
“Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation Anatoly Yanovsky and Deputy Minister of Energy of Pakistan Sher Afgan-Khan signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Energy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on cooperation in implementing the offshore pipeline project,” the ministry said in a statement issued after the signing of the agreement.
According to the agreement the gas from fields in Iran will be supplied to consumers in Pakistan and India. “I think this will create additional conditions for the signing of the same document with the Indian side,” said Yanovsky.
“The Memorandum provides for the identification of authorized organizations through which the project will be supported, including when developing a feasibility study — identifying the resource base, configuration and route of the gas pipeline,” the statement added.
The deputy minister noted that the interaction between Russia and Pakistan in the fuel and energy sector is not limited to the offshore pipeline project: in particular, consultations are being held on the North-South gas pipeline project.
According to Anatoly Yanovsky, the project of LNG supplies to the Pakistan can become a promising direction of cooperation. An intergovernmental agreement on the supply of oil products from Russia to Pakistan is also under consideration. In addition, the Russian electric power industry has also shown interest in the Pakistani market.
Pakistan and Russia have signed the agreement at a time when the United States of America is mounting pressure on the countries to not deal with Iran. “It is a bold call which shows that Pakistan is not going to bow to the US threats,” said Muzamil Aslam, senior economist, adding: “This could have repercussions as the US may pressurize Pakistan through other countries and may induce its investors withdraw their investment from Pakistan stock market.”
The underwater pipeline is expected to be completed within three to four years of the signing of the agreement. The pipeline could supply from 500 million cubic feet to 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day.
A feasibility study of the project will be conducted by Russian energy giant Gazprom. The project will be jointly handled by Pakistan’s state-owned Inter State Gas Systems (ISGS) and Gazprom.
The ISGS is currently engaged on mega gas pipeline schemes such as the $10 billion Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, which aims to bring natural gas from the Gylkynish and adjacent gas fields in Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
The Asian Development Bank is acting as the facilitator and coordinator for the TAPI project. The feasibility study, proposed to lay a 56-inch diameter 1,000-mile pipeline with design capacity of 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per annum (Bcfd) [IS THIS PER DAY OR PER ANNUM] from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan up to the Indian border. The project is scheduled to commence operations in 2020.
The increased supply of gas to Pakistan will have positive impact on the economy of the country, said Muzamil Aslam commented. “Pakistan’s energy needs would be met and our industries, particularly export industry, will benefit to large extent and employment opportunities would also increase.”
Pakistan, Russia sign MoU for construction of $10 billion marine gas pipeline
Pakistan, Russia sign MoU for construction of $10 billion marine gas pipeline
- The gas from fields in Iran will be supplied to consumers in Pakistan and India through the marine pipeline
- Development is a bold call in the face of mounting pressure on Iran which shows Pakistan’s resilience, Muzamil Aslam
Santas on camels lead Christmas rally in Pakistani capital
- Hundreds join year-end procession in the capital, chanting and marching in festive dress
- Christians make up only 1.37% of Pakistan’s population, according to the 2023 census
ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of Pakistani Christians marched through Islamabad in a Christmas rally on Sunday, with men dressed as Santa Claus riding camels and waving at crowds as they chanted greetings ahead of the holiday.
The gathering showcased one of the country’s most visible Christmas celebrations, held in a nation where Christians remain a small religious minority. Census data from 2023 puts the Christian population at less than 1.37 percent nationwide, though communities are concentrated in major cities such as Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
For participants, the rally was both festive and symbolic, an open display of faith near the heart of the capital.
“My heart is filled with gratitude. We are very thankful to the government of Pakistan, the army, the police, and everyone for supporting us during our event, especially the event for minority communities,” said 27-year-old Arsalan Masih.
Standing beside him as camels passed through Zero Point, a central traffic junction, electrician Shafiqui Saleem said the group celebrated openly each year.
“December has started, and we are enjoying our Christmas celebrations. This is why we have started this rally, to praise our Lord and celebrate His coming, as He was born in the month of December to bring salvation to this world. We are very happy to enjoy December.”
Saleem said the procession reflected a sense of belonging despite being a minority in the country.
“Despite being a minority, we have never faced any obstacles here in Islamabad,” he said.
“You can see that today, we were granted permission to hold this rally from Zero Point, and the authorities are managing the traffic and supporting us. It is wonderful that, despite being a minority, we are receiving a lot of support.”
