the government stated to remain committed on the completion of the pipeline and also agreed to extend the completion date by one year. However, on 30 May 2014, ISNA news agency quoted Iranian Deputy Oil Minister for International and Trade Affairs Ali Majedi as claiming that the deadline has not been extended as no such agreement was signed during Nawaz Sharif's visit and the deadline to complete is still December, 2014. During the year 2017, India is planning to disassociate from this pipeline project and working on cheaper independent under sea pipe line directly from Iran. As of early 2019, the project remains substantially delayed. While the Iranian section of the pipeline has been completed, the Pakistani section remains under construction and subject to renewed delays thanks to concerns about the US sanctions regime<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eurasiantimes.com/islamabad-keen-to-complete-super-delayed-iran-pakistan-gas-pipeline/|title=Islamabad Keen To Complete Super-Delayed' Iran-Pakistan Gas Pipeline|last=Times|first=EurAsian|date=2019-05-08|website=EurAsian Times: Latest Asian, Middle-East, EurAsian, Indian News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-11}}</ref> Controversies In January 2010, the United States asked Pakistan to abandon the pipeline project. If canceling the project, Pakistan would receive assistance from the United States for construction of a liquefied natural gas terminal and importing electricity from Tajikistan through Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor. However, on 16 March 2010 in Ankara, Iran and Pakistan signed an agreement on the pipeline. According to the agreement each country must complete its section by 2014. In July 2011, Iran announced that it has completed construction of its section. If Pakistan does not fulfill its obligation to complete the pipeline on its side by the end of 2014, it will have to pay a daily penalty of $1 million to Iran until completion. On 13 March 2012 Pakistan's ministry of finance announced that private investors were showing diminished interest and that the government might have to impose a tax on consumers, or seek government-to-government arrangements with Iran, China and Russia to build the pipeline. On 29 March it was reported that officials from Pakistan's petroleum ministry would travel to Russia in early April for talks with Gazprom. Then, in a 7 April article the Pakistani daily PakTribune'' reported that Gazprom would both finance and construct the pipeline. This would require setting aside the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority rules which require international bidding for such a large project. The Economic Coordination Committee would be asked in its next meeting to give such permission. The article also informed that the reason the private consortium no longer would contribute