Pakistan has hired the services of three law firms to contest its case in the Court of Arbitration in Paris after it was moved by Iran over Islamabad’s failure to complete its portion of the bilateral gas pipeline and have an intake of 750mmcfd gas.
Law Division and Attorney General’s Office sources have said that the federal government has acquired the services of White & Case, Three Crowns, Willkie Farr Gallagher — well-reputed international law firms — and one main counsel, settled in Australia, who is also famous in the world as one of the leading lawyers in the oil and gas infrastructure sector.
“We submitted with the secretariat of the France-based Court of Arbitration on October 18, 2024 details about the legal team that would represent Pakistan in the Arbitration Court proceedings,” said the sources.
Meanwhile, relevant authorities have briefed the law firms and one main counsel on the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project and the reasons why Pakistan failed to materialise the trans-nations project.
“Pakistan will now, with the consultation of legal team input, appoint one arbitrator. Likewise, one is to be appointed by Iran, and then both states would jointly nominate the third arbitrator. This is how the Court of Arbitration would be completed for proceeding on the case, added the sources.
