Poor Pakistan Only Seeks ‘Sanction Free’ Gas From Iran: Petroleum Minister

Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik said on Wednesday that Pakistan wants to procure Iranian gas but cannot afford international sanctions. Addressing the Pakistan Energy Symposium in Islamabad, the petroleum minister said there was a need for a sanction-free mechanism to obtain Iranian gas. He recalled the past waivers and extensions granted to countries like Turkiye, Iraq, and Azerbaijan. Musadik Malik detailed government policies to boost local production of petroleum products but lamented the unsustainable nature of Pakistan’s annual $18-24 billion oil and gas import bill. He mentioned initiatives to increase domestic oil and gas production like attracting global exploration companies and digitizing regulatory processes for transparency. The minister discussed Pakistan’s efforts to advance the TAPI gas pipeline project with Turkmenistan, which promises a steady supply of affordable gas.