India's petroleum minister will arrive Saturdayin Islamabad to discuss a proposed multi-billion-dollar gas pipeline from Iran through Pakistan.

Mani Shankar Aiyer would hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Amanullah Khan Jadoon in what would be the first interaction between the two sides on the 4.5-billion -US-dollar Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project.

Pakistan is currently weighing different options to get natural gas to meet its growing energy requirements. The country's demand for natural gas is expected to rise substantially in the next few years with an increase of roughly 50 percent by 2006.

These include two over-land gas pipelines; Iran-Pakistan-India and a 3.5-billion- dollar 1500-km-long Turkmenistan-Afghanistan- Pakistan besides a proposed 1.88-billion- dollar 1610-km Gulf- South Asia under-sea pipeline from Qatar.

The Pakistani government is to take a final decision by the end of this year.

The petroleum ministers from Qatar and Turkmenistan have already visited Pakistan to discuss the possibility of the proposed projects to meet the country's growing energy needs.

A foreign spokesman said the talks between Pakistani and Indian oil ministers would be of a preliminary nature. He said both Pakistan and India "need energy for sustaining the growth that we have achieved so far."

A three-way discussion also involving Iranian officials would be held later, the spokesman said without giving a date.

The United States has voiced objections against the 2,600-km overland gas pipeline project over Tehran's nuclear program. However, both Islamabad and New Delhi said they would pursue the project in their national interest, despite reservations by Washington.

Negotiations for the pipeline began in 1994 but tensions between Pakistan and India hindered progress till January 2004, when the situation improved as they engaged in a peace process.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz earlier described the proposed gas pipeline from Iran as a peace pipeline.

"It is a force for peace in South Asia and we definitely want it to go ahead," he said.

Aiyar is also expected to hold discussions with Prime Minister Aziz, Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri on the future of the pipeline project of which 760 km would pass through Pakistan's territory.

The minister is also scheduled to visit Tehran later in the month to finalize the piped natural gas deal.

Source: Xinhua