Qatar pipeline: Pak okay with India’s role

While there continues to be doubts on the ultimate viability of the Indo-Iran pipeline, Aiyar told a media briefing that he was confident that the JWG will be able to come out with detailed findings on this pipeline ahead of the other two.

Reserves in Turkmenistan still need to be validated, and Musharraf has himself swung into action to resolve issues in the Qatar pipeline, which is dubbed the Gulf South Asia (GUSA) Pipeline. Here, Musharraf said India could engage directly with the Qatar authorities. At least for the next six months, however, the dialogues on the Iran pipeline will continue to be bilateral ones.

When will all this shift to a trilateral level? The fact of the matter is that Pakistan is yet to take a final decision on the Indo-Iran pipeline. And whatever the players might proclaim on US pressure, it remains to be seen how a key US ally in the region will play its cards.

‘‘The issue did not come up, and I did not raise it either,’’ said Aiyar when asked whether the US issue came up during the meeting with Musharraf. ‘‘We have now moved from asking questions about security to addressing security concerns in a serious manner,’’ he added.

That said, the fact that the two countries have got together to walk the talk on their future energy requirements is a step forward.

Both fast-growing countries are keen to keep the foot firmly on the gas — and growth — pedal.