Prime Minister’s statements jeopardise Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project |
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Published
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Mon, 25 Jul 2005 07:05
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NEW DELHI: The Indian Prime Minister returned home basking in the glory of a successful visit to the United States. But he has come under fire for his comments on the gas pipeline that India is looking to acquire in collaboration with Iran and Pakistan.
Dr Manmohan Singh had commented to The Washington Post in an interview that the pipeline was a risky prospect, "I am realistic enough to realize that there are many risks because considering all the uncertainties of the situation there in Iran. I don’t know if any international consortium of bankers would probably underwrite this. But we are in a state of preliminary negotiations, and the background of this is we desperately need the supply of gas that Iran has," he had said. The Indian Petroleum Minister Mani Shankar Aiyar who had told reporters that the project was “fraught with terrible risks” echoed his statements.
Both these comments have been seized by the opposition in India, which has severely criticized the duo for putting an important project under risk with their loose statements. The Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline has been in the works since the last 18 months and after several round of delicate negotiations was poised to come down to the planning stage. The United States has made no bones about the fact that it is not in the favor of the project, which it feels would give Iran substantial leverage to proceed with its nuclear ambitions.
However, Dr Singh had sought to portray the fact that India could act as a bridge between Iran and America, "Iran is the largest Shia Muslim country in the world. We have the second largest Shia Muslim population in our country...And I do believe (with) that part of our unique history, we can be a bridge," he had said.
At the moment the whole project appears to have been clouded by the remarks of the Indian Prime Minister. His own allies in the government are questioning him over this volte-face. The coming days should make it clear on whether the project goes ahead or gets scuttled mid-way.
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