Islamabad (PTI): China has told Pakistan it is ready to join a gas pipeline project to import Iranian gas if India decides not to be part of the multi-billion dollar venture.

Pakistan and Iran have finalised a gas purchase agreement while India is yet to complete modalities for joining the project mainly due to differences with Pakistan over the transit fee to be paid for the gas transported through Pakistani territory.

Iran had been asked by Pakistan earlier this month to finalise the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project by April. Iran said it was holding final talks with India to persuade it to join the project.

Iran had also told Pakistan that if India continued to show its reluctance to join the project "under US pressure", Tehran would invite Beijing to join the venture, the influential Dawn newspaper reported Tuesday.

"The Chinese have told us that they are ready to join it," a source in the petroleum and natural resources ministry told Dawn. Pakistan has asked Iran to enhance the volume of gas to be supplied by 50 per cent if India opts out of the project.