PROPOSED IRAN-PAKISTAN-INDIA GAS PIPELINE: IMPLICATIONS FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION IN SOUTH ASIA

This article analyzes the proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline, examining its profound implications for regional cooperation in South Asia. It explores the immense economic and energy security benefits of the project, which would transport natural gas from Iran's vast reserves to the energy-hungry economies of Pakistan and India. The study assesses the geopolitical and security challenges that have hindered the implementation of the project, most notably the deep-seated mistrust and conflict between India and Pakistan, and the opposition of the United States to any project that benefits Iran. The research argues that the pipeline, if realized, could be a "peace pipeline," a transformative project that would create a powerful dynamic of economic interdependence, thereby giving all three countries a vested interest in regional stability. The paper concludes that the IPI pipeline represents a critical test case for whether the logic of shared economic interests can overcome the historical legacy of political conflict in South Asia.

The proposed Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline was one of the most ambitious and geopolitically significant energy projects in Asia. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of its potential and its pitfalls. The first part of the study is an examination of the compelling economic logic behind the project. It details the massive energy deficits in both India and Pakistan and the vast, untapped gas reserves in Iran, arguing that the pipeline represents the most economically rational way to connect this supply and demand. The paper quantifies the potential economic benefits for all three countries, from transit revenues for Pakistan to a secure and affordable source of energy for India. The core of the article, however, is a detailed analysis of the formidable geopolitical and security obstacles. The primary obstacle identified is the India-Pakistan conflict, with Indian security concerns about a pipeline passing through the territory of its rival being a major stumbling block. The paper also provides an in-depth analysis of the role of the United States, which actively opposed the project as part of its policy of isolating Iran, and which promoted alternative pipeline projects that would bypass Iran. The findings reveal a project caught at the intersection of powerful economic logic and intractable geopolitical realities. The paper concludes by framing the IPI pipeline as more than just an energy project; it was a potential game-changer for regional cooperation, a "peace pipeline" whose success or failure would have profound implications for the future of South Asia.