Pakistan and Iran have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to initiate work on the proposed gas pipeline with India, reports Online news agency.

The MoU was signed by Pakistan's petroleum secretary Ahmad Waqar and Iranian Deputy Minister for International Affairs M.H. Najhad Husseinan here Thursday.

The ceremony was attended by Petroleum and Natural Resources Minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon and Iranian Minister for Oil Bijan Namdar Zangeneh.

Jadoon told reporters later Pakistan would be in dire need of gas in the coming years and Iran wanted to sell its gas and so the project would be completed as soon as possible.

He said the petroleum secretary would visit India July 11 to discuss the modus operandi for the proposed gas pipeline project. He said that Pakistan and India had already agreed to initiate the project and bottlenecks would be removed soon.

Iranian Oil Minister Zangeneh expressed hope that "we would start the work to lay the gas pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan by April 2006".