Iran to mediate between India, Pak on gas transit fee

ISLAMABAD: Iran will mediate between India and Pakistan to end a deadlock on the issue of transit fees to be paid by New Delhi for gas transported through a 7.5-billion dollar pipeline to be built by the three countries. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has constituted a four-member committee of officials to hold talks with Pakistan and India on the transit fee issue, Zee TV reported. He has given the panel 45 days to settle the issue between the two countries and submit a report to him.
Pakistan and Iran were set to sign a bilateral gas sale purchase agreement (GSPA) for the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project by May 31 but would now sign the pact after the Iranian committee resolves the transit fee issue between Pakistan and India.
Pakistan and India too could sign a gas transit fee agreement when the GSPA is signed by Iran and Pakistan.
Former Petroleum Minister Khwaja Asif and his Indian counterpart Murli Deora had announced after talks on April 25 that the gas transit fee issue would be addressed within a short period of time but no progress has been made as yet in the matter.