Pakistan’s federal minister for petroleum and natural resources, Amanullah Khan Jadoon, recently said Pakistan was in talks with Iran and that the pipeline project could be discussed with during a two-day conference of ministers from the South Asian Association Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in Islamabad from 17 March.

If India was ready then an agreement could be signed during the SAARC conference, Jadoon said.

The Pakistani government would consider any proposals of crude oil pipelines from Central Asian countries, including one from Kazakstan to Pakistan, acccording to Jadoon.

Turkmenistan had also sought a meeting on the proposed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline and a committee would meet to discuss the issue next month.