TEHRAN, YJC. Iran Minister of Oil has repudiated Pakistani authorities’ claims as to the removal of the penalty article from the Peace Pipeline contract.
Consultant
to Pakistan Prime Minister Asem Hossein had said last week that in case of
delay in operation of Iran-Pakistan, Islamabad would not have to pay any fine,
saying "As mentioned in the gas purchase and sell contract, in case of delay in
the operation, Pakistan will not have to pay fine.”
Rostam
Ghasemi, Iran’s Oil Minister in the sidelines if the ECO oil ministers summit
in Tehran refuted Hossein’s claim, saying "Currently all contractual matters
regarding the export of gas to Pakistan are done with.”
Recently Ghasemi had said last week that the contract is
final and that the construction of the pipeline will begin on the coming Monday.
Alireza Gharibi, CEO of the
Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Company, also has said that by the end
of the next year, Iranian calendar; March 2013, the pipeline will be complete
and gas export to Pakistan operational.