VZCZCXRO9351
RR RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #0508 0360156
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 050156Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4844
INFO RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 2747
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 7180
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 8832
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 4739
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 3422

UNCLAS ISLAMABAD 000508 
 
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SENSITIVE 
 
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E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EFIN ECON EINV PREL PK
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORTS FURTHER TALKS ON IRAN PIPELINE DEAL BUT NO 
TRAVEL PLANS FOR PAKISTANI DELEGATION 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Local Pakistani media reports that further talks 
on the Iranian pipeline deal will occur February 14-16 in Tehran. As 
of February 4, government officials in Pakistan do not have travel 
plans to attend such meetings. End Summary. 
¶2. (U) Local Pakistani media picked up the Iranian press reports 
over the weekend claiming that the petroleum ministers from India 
and Pakistan will travel to Tehran for further talks on the Iranian 
pipeline deal.  According to the local reports, the February 14-16 
meeting was "confirmed" by Iranian Oil Minister Gholam Hossein 
Nozari at a news conference on February 1, 2008. 
¶3. (SBU) Due the continued reluctance of the Government of Pakistan 
(GOP) officials to discuss the Iran pipeline deal with Embassy 
officials, ECON was unable to confirm Pakistani participation with 
any of the principals directly.  However, ECON did contact the 
schedulers for each of the GOP negotiators who confirmed that travel 
plans have not been made. 
¶4. (SBU) Personal secretary to the Caretaker Minister for Petroleum 
and Oil told Econoff that no travel to Iran is planned over the 
reported February 14-16 timeframe for the Caretaker Minister, Ahsan 
Ullah Khan. The GOP Deputy negotiator for the pipeline deal is the 
Secretary for Water and Power, Mr. Ismial Qurashi, who does not have 
 
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any travel plans according, to his personal secretary. Furthermore, 
the personal secretary for the Secretary of Petroleum, Mr. Farrukh 
Qayyum, noted that, "as of today, there are no travel plans made for 
Tehran." 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment:  Embassy will continue to monitor the local media 
and other sources for any information related to the Iran pipeline 
deal.  As the deal edges toward completion, GOP officials in the 
substantive ministries have refused to discuss the pipeline and 
other energy issues with the Embassy.  We will continue our efforts 
to reach out to the substantive ministries to convey our concerns 
and to push for alternative energy sources to stem Pakistan's 
increasingly severe energy crisis.  End Comment. 
 
PATTERSON