PM reconstitutes panels on IP gas pipeline, sugar export

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reconstituted two committees: one on the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline, and the other on sugar export and monitoring its price.

Now Deputy Prime Minister Senator Ishaq Dar would head both these committees, official sources told The News. Dr Musadik Malik was earlier heading these committees.

The development occurred two, three weeks ago. The rationale behind appointing Ishaq Dar as the IP gasline committee is that Iran lately approached the Arbitration Court in Paris over non-implementation of the project and the foreign ministry and attorney general for Pakistan would be handling the issue on diplomatic and legal fronts, said the sources.

According to a copy of the notification, issued on October 17, 2024, by the Cabinet Division, the deputy prime minister, who is also Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, has been appointed as chairman of cabinet committee on monitoring sugar exports in place of the minister for petroleum.

It may be mentioned that Iran has approached the arbitration court in Paris against Pakistan over the non-implementation of the IP gas line project, and therefore, the ministry of foreign affairs and the Attorney General for Pakistan are required to handle the case on diplomatic and legal fronts.

When contacted, Attorney General Usman Mansoor said the petroleum minister is still part of the committee on IP gas line, but it would now be headed by Deputy PM (Minister for Foreign Affairs).