Pakistan's Prime Minister's Advisor on Energy Mukhtar Ahmed said here at a gas conference that Pak-Iran gas pipeline is technically, commercially and financially viable. According to Business Recorder on Wednesday, the advisor reminded the conference of President General Pervez Musharraf and Premier Shaukat Aziz's statement that Pakistan would go for the project. He said that Pakistan was actively pushing forward its plan for early completion of the project, and its efforts to appoint quality investment banks as advisor for the multi-billion project was its clear evidence. The proposal to lay pipeline from Iran to India via Pakistan surfaced in the mid-90s, but no tangible progress could be made due to Islamabad-Delhi tensions on Kashmir problem. However, things have improved since last year when both countries started peace process and positive gestures indicated their willingness to opt for the project. The advisor added that talks with Qatar and Turkmenistan were also under way for the laying of the pipelines from these two countries. Final decision on at least one gas pipeline would be taken by the end of this year while experts here strongly recommended the Iranian option for Pakistan, calling it viable in every respect. India and Pakistan are in need of gas to meet their increasing equirements of industry and agriculture and want early work on gas pipeline. PIN/IRNA