Re: $15 billion LNG deal with Qatar finalized
I do not think it was all about corruption. In 2005, average oil price was averaging at around $60 a barrel, and thus Gas price was reasonable using 2005 formula. Then Oil price shot up to around $140 a barrel in 2008, and came down crashing to around $40 a barrel in 2009, then started going up rapidly.
I think, seeing such volatility, plus situation with the price of energy in market, Iran decided to renegotiate a new formula in 2009 (it was not Pakistan, but Iran wanted new pricing formula) .
But I do not think that new formula was accepted, though I am not sure, as what I believe, pricing was left for later time, when Pakistan would start importing gas. In other words, pricing was open to negotiation.
Present government of NS, know that they would not get any commission or favour for gas from Iran. As for Qatar, PMLN has their man (Saifur-Rahman) in Qatar, plus Arabs are used to buying or favouring Pakistani politicians, so NS ignored Iranian gas.
Seeing present situation of energy sector, I am sure Pakistan could have got Iranian gas much cheaply, maybe using same 2005 pricing formula or could have negotiated even better pricing formula, still Pakistan decided to go for Qatar LNG so that NS and his ‘henchmen’ could loot Pakistan or could please their Qatari masters.
It seems Pakistan is getting cheapest LNG price that Qatar offered to any country, but that cheapest price is not the cheapest price for Gas available to Pakistan. Cheapest price for Pakistan is Iranian Gas.