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Rhetoric aside, it remains to be seen whether Pakistan would ever actually face American sanctions. The PPP government led by Zardari likely has only days left leading the country because new elections are expected to be called by the end of the week. "That timing is very important for the People's Party because they are building their campaign on this," said Hussain Yasar, a senior energy analyst at KASB Securities in Karachi. One of the chief complaints of Pakistanis with the current government is over the widespread blackouts that have only gotten worse since it took over five years ago. The government seems to be flouting its commitment to the pipeline as a way to prove it is committed to solving the energy crisis despite its track record, and has emphasized that it is going forward with the project in the face of U.S. opposition. Speaking Monday morning before the president and his entourage left for Iran, a presidential spokesman said the project will have a huge economic impact on Pakistan. "We hope our friends understand our energy needs," said Farhatullah Babar in a veiled reference to the U.S. One of the biggest challenges for cash-strapped Pakistan is how to come up with the money needed to build the pipeline. With few countries willing to court American ire by financing the project, Iran has given Pakistan a $500 million loan to build part of it, reported Iran's state television. The Pakistanis have said they will finance the rest of the project -- roughly $1 billion
-- through an additional fee added to customers' bills, but that is a tough proposition considering how few Pakistanis actually pay for electricity. It's unclear whether Pakistan's commitment to the project will continue if the ruling party loses the upcoming election. The PPP's main contender is the Pakistan Muslim League-N, headed by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who spent years living in exile Saudi Arabia. The oil-rich gulf kingdom, a Sunni Muslim country with deep suspicion of Iran's Shiite Muslim rulers, is believed to also be adamantly opposed to any deal that would benefit Iran. "It will be a tricky situation for the PML-N," said Yasar.
[Associated
Press;
Associated Press writer
Ali Akbar Dareini contributed to this report from Tehran, Iran.
Copyright 2013 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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