ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - According to a high-ranking government official who briefed a parliamentary panel on Wednesday, although Pakistan has accelerated talks on the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline, significant commercial and foreign concerns pose major obstacles to realizing this crucial energy initiative.

Saadia Abbasi, the chair of the Senate's Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat, called a meeting to learn more about the current state and prospects for the IP gas pipeline project.

According to officials, the project's negotiation process has picked up steam recently. However, significant obstacles in the form of commercial and international concerns continue to prevent its completion. To investigate the situation further, the committee invited Pakistan's attorney general to the following meeting.

The Senate committee also talked about the nationwide use of petrol and the proposed increase in petrol prices. Approximately 2,900 million cubic feet (MMcf) of natural gas are produced in the nation each year, with 400 MMcf coming from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 750 MMcf from Balochistan, 100 MMcf from Punjab, and 1,650 MMcf from Sindh.

Additionally, they pointed out that the average gas consumption is 28 percent for the power sector, 26 percent for domestic use, 18 percent for industry, and 22 percent for fertilizer companies.