ISLAMABAD: A prominent forum for the country’s business community Monday lauded the government for inking a pipeline deal with Russia.
Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF) President Mian Zahid Hussain, in a statement, said that the recently signed agreement to transport LNG from Karachi to Lahore would settle energy crisis in the province while reviving energy-hungry industrial units.
He said that the deal will pave way for huge investment by Russian companies in various sectors including oil and gas. He said that interest rates are at the lowest therefore Pakistan should not waste time to sign more infrastructure agreements with Russia as private sector is unable to initiate massive projects.
Mian said that getting optimum benefit from pipeline would require setting up more LNG terminals, removing officials in oil and gas sector which are against LNG and learn from the failures of LNG terminal deal which has resulted in massive losses which are being transferred to the masses.
He said that the current deal should not be allowed to overshadow the plan to import natural gas from Iran. The business leader said that it is a win-win deal as Pakistan will get energy while Russia will try to make Afghanistan peaceful so that militancy could not find its way in central Asia.
