"There is no reference on it (in talks with US President George W Bush). Nobody ever gave me this message. We will take the gas pipeline from Iran. That is our requirement. The delay is because of the trilateral arrangement," he told Pakistani editors during an interaction here on the American leader's just-concluded Pakistan visit.

President Bush also recognised Pakistan's need for gas and there was no US pressure on the country vis-a-vis gas pipeline from Iran, Musharraf said.

Bush himself declined to give a categorical answer about US stand on IPI, saying Washington's complaint with Iran was regarding its nuclear programme. Last year, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had openly aired Washington's reservations over the IPI project.

Recently, Musharraf said that if Washington had any objection to IPI, it should provide alternative source of energy which was interpreted as an attempt to get the civilian nuclear deal which US stuck with India. Bush during his visit here on March 4 declined to extend the same to Pakistan, saying that the two countries have different needs and histories.

Though Pakistan leaders maintain that they would go ahead with IPI project, Islamabad has not yet officially made a decision on which of the three pipelines it prefers. Besides IPI, the country is also considering Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) pipeline and another from Qatar.

Musharraf said Pakistan has two 300 mw nuclear power plants built by China and wanted to get 600 mw, while he approached US for 1,000 mw nuclear power plant as bigger nuclear power plants are cheaper.

Referring to the joint statement issued at the end of the visit of Bush, he said the US Energy Secretary would be here shortly to discuss Pakistan's energy needs.