Pakistan considering Iran oil import via land

A new report published by Pakistani media says Islamabad is considering the possibility of importing Iran's crude oil via land route following removal of international sanctions against Tehran.

The report, published by The Express Tribune on Saturday, quoted an unnamed Pakistani official with knowledge of the development as saying that “discussions are going on in government circles” that Pakistan must remove the restrictions it has imposed on importing Iranian crude after the United States and the European Union (EU) withdrew sanctions against Iran's energy and economic sectors.

Noting that Pakistan stopped oil imports from Iran through land route about six years ago, the anonymous official said, “This plan will lead to resumption of oil imports from Iran which has been on halt since 2010.”

The official noted that by resuming Iran oil imports via land route, oil smuggling from the Islamic Republic, which is usually conducted through Pakistan’s Balochistan Province, will come to an end.

In an effort to check goods smuggling, particularly petroleum products, form Iran, the government in Islamabad has ordered the country’s law enforcement agencies to seal a 500 kilometer belt along the two country’s common border by digging trenches and placing barbed wire. However, the measure has so far failed to stop smugglers, who can still find a way to dodge the security checks.

SS