(July 30): Pakistan has negotiated with Iran to secure safe passage for at least one Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipment, according to people with knowledge of the matter, the latest effort by the South Asian nation to use its diplomatic ties to ease a deepening energy crunch.

The Al Areesh — which had been idling in the Persian Gulf since loading cargo at Qatar’s Ras Laffan export terminal in early July — transited the Strait of Hormuz early on Thursday, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The ship crossed with its transponders switched on and is now signalling Pakistan as its destination.

The deal to secure the safe crossing could cover other cargoes, one of the people added.

Pakistan, which has suffered acute fuel shortages since the start of the war, has leveraged its diplomatic channels to act as an intermediary in talks between the US and Iran. Earlier in the year it used those ties to negotiate with Tehran for the safe passage of several LNG cargoes.

However, the latest flare-up in violence — along with an Iranian attack on a Qatari LNG tanker — effectively halted deliveries to Pakistan. The South Asian nation relies heavily on Qatar for the fuel, and cancelled deliveries has resulted in rolling blackouts in parts of the the country.

Pakistan’s petroleum ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Qatar’s International Media Office and Iran’s foreign ministry also did not immediately respond to Bloomberg queries.

It is not clear whether any payment was made to guarantee the crossing. 

Since the war began in late-February, Pakistan has been forced to pay over US$400 million (RM1.63 billion) to procure LNG shipments from spot markets to replace supplies from Qatari, its top producers, according to Bloomberg calculations.

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