The government of Pakistan appears determined to finish a multibillion dollar gas transmission project with Iran, despite stiff opposition from the US.

Petroleum Minister of Pakistan Musadik Malik stated that Islamabad urgently needs the gas transfer project with Iran and intends to pursue exemptions from US sanctions by presenting both technical and political justifications for the project's completion.

During a congressional hearing in Washington last week, US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu was explicit in his declaration that Washington opposes the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and is making concerted efforts to thwart its construction.

Experts believe that Islamabad's stance on the gas transfer project with Iran is not merely a matter of preference, but rather a necessity given the current circumstances.