"If Pakistan relies on India for high-speed diesel and jet fuel, there is a threat to the country`s security if supplies are withheld for any reason," an official source was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune after two-day talks between the two countries on trade in petroleum products.
During the talks that concluded yesterday, Pakistan also refused to import diesel from India as it has a long-term supply contract with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, according to the source.
Pakistan is reluctant to place its reliance on India for strategically important products, the report said. Instead, the Pakistani establishment believes there is a need to engage Gulf countries for oil imports, sources told the daily.
The official source said India is keen on providing all petroleum products to Pakistan and expressed its desire to lay an oil pipeline connecting the two countries.
On the other hand, a senior official from the Petroleum Ministry has said that Pakistan has not refused to import diesel from India. He said Pakistan had expressed a desire to import furnace oil, diesel and petrol from its neighbour. "We have surplus jet fuel and thus we do not want to import that from India," the official said, adding, "We want India to export diesel through Karachi and furnace oil and petrol via the Wagah border to meet the requirements of Punjab."
According to the official, the report said, both countries will meet again in the first half of July in New Delhi to finalise the quantity and prices of products. He said the Commerce Ministry was directed to look into the infrastructure required for such imports.
India has offered to build a pipeline to the Wagah land border and supply 50 million tonnes of petroleum products a year to meet Pakistan`s requirement, reports said yesterday.
The offer was made during talks between a visiting Indian delegation led by P Kalyanasundaram, Director (international cooperation) in the Petroleum Ministry, and a Pakistani team headed by Joint Secretary Shabbir Ahmed of the Petroleum Ministry. The Indian team also met Petroleum Minister Asim Hussain, who said Pakistan is interested in importing furnace oil and diesel.