VZCZCXRO8451
OO RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHKP #0049/01 0421153
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 111153Z FEB 09
FM AMCONSUL KARACHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0918
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 0380
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL PRIORITY 0214
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 0257
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 1800
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE PRIORITY 2651
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 4534
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KARACHI 000049 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/11/2019 
TAGS: ENRG ECON PREL PGOV IR PK
SUBJECT: SINDH - IRAN OFFERS PAKISTAN ELECTRICITY, 
TRANSMISSION LINE UPGRADES 
 
REF: A. 08 ISLAMABAD 3737 
     ¶B. KARACHI 27 
     ¶C. KARACHI 45 
 
Classified By: Classified by Consul General Stephen Fakan for reasons 1 
.4 b and d. 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  During a January 31 meeting co-sponsored by 
the Pak Iran Friendship society in Karachi, the Iranian 
Ambassador to Pakistan claimed that his country has offered 
1,135MW of energy to Pakistan, an offer he said that could 
double.  He said that poor transmission infrastructure in 
Balochistan was the main impediment to this deal, but offered 
Iranian help to improve it.  The Iranian envoy claimed the 
GOP and GOI had made a breakthrough in a proposed natural gas 
pipeline from Iran to Pakistan, without elaborating. 
 
Iranian Offer of Electricity to Pakistan 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On January 31, Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan 
Mashallah Shakari told a crowd of around 60 at the Pakistan 
Institute of International Affairs in Karachi that his 
country has offered to supply 1,135 MW of electricity to 
Pakistan.  He said Iranian representatives made the offer at 
a December meeting in Islamabad with Pakistan Minister of 
Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf.  Shakari added that his 
government was ready to double the offer, but said the GOP 
lacked sufficient transmission infrastructure from the 
Balochistan border with Iran to Quetta.  He then explained 
that Iran was willing to help upgrade the electricity 
transmission system if the GOP requested assistance.  (Note: 
He explained that the original offer included provision of 
35MW to the Balochistan border area, 100MW to Gwadar, and 
1000MW to "the rest of Pakistan."  End note.) 
 
Gas Pipeline Project 
-------------------- 
 
¶3.  (C) Shakari claimed that, during a January meeting in 
Islamabad, the Iranian and Pakistani Petroleum Ministers had 
"made progress" on an agreement for construction of a gas 
pipeline (the IPI Gas Pipeline Project) that would supply 
Pakistan with Iranian natural gas.  He defended the price 
Iran would charge for the gas as a necessary reaction to 
world prices.  (Note:  The project has long been stalled over 
high and often changing Iranian price demands, as well as 
distrust between India and Pakistan on security of supply. 
End note.) 
 
Pak Iran Joint Investment Company Focusing on Energy Projects 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶4.  (C) Mian Sajjad Ahmed, an official with the Pak Iran 
Joint Investment Company, told Post that his organization is 
exploring joint Pakistan-Iran energy projects involving wind 
and solar energy along with oil and gas projects.  Ahmed, who 
said he is former Citibank employee, explained that Iranian 
companies are easier to work with than Pakistani companies 
because they are more straightforward and less corrupt.  He 
added that his company has a number of former Citibank and 
Bank of America officials.  (Note:  According its website, 
www.pijicl.com, the Pak Iran Joint Investment Company was 
created by an agreement between the GOP and the GOI.  End 
note.) 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶5.  (C) The conference, co-sponsored by the Pak-Iran 
Friendship Association to commemorate the 30th anniversary of 
the "Islamic Revolution," appears to be the latest in a 
series of Iranian efforts to generate support in Pakistan 
with the aid of local groups (ref B), particularly in 
business and energy related areas.  However, the Iranians 
appear to lack much official support in Sindh province.  The 
seats near the podium reserved for Sindh Chief Minister Qaim 
Ali Shah and Retired Pakistan Supreme Court Justice Sajjad 
Ali Shah remained empty throughout the event. 
 
 
KARACHI 00000049  002 OF 002 
 
 
¶6.  (C) In his speech and discussion with the crowd 
afterwards, Ambassador Shakari appeared to be making a case 
for increasing Iranian ties to Pakistan's energy sector, 
rather than announcing any sort of breakthrough.  He did not 
give any specifics regarding the progress he claimed the GOP 
and GOI had made regarding the natural gas pipeline deal. 
FAKAN