Pak-India tensions won’t affect TAPI project

Sep 15, 2019
Islamabad: A Pakistan government official has said that the ongoing tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad over Kashmir will not affect the future of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) and other offshore gas pipeline projects.

“Pakistan has assured Turkmenistan that rising tensions with India will have no effect on the mega project,” the official told The Express Tribune on Saturday.

“There has been tension between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. However, this will not affect TAPI pipeline project,” he added.

The Interstate Gas Systems (ISGS) is working on some big pipeline projects including TAPI, North-South Pipeline and Offshore Gas Pipeline.

In addition, the company has also planned to set up underground gas storages to ensure energy security through load management in the country.

TAPI, a peace pipeline project, promises connectivity between Central and South Asia.

It will pass through war-torn Afghanistan and Pakistan to India to boost economic activity and to ensure peace and stability in the region.

The project would also help connect two regions through road, rail and fiber cable network.

Construction works have already started in Turkmenistan and is expected to start soon from Turkmen-Afghan border to Herat section, the official said, adding that construction activities in Pakistan were set to kick off during the first quarter of 2020.

He told The Express Tribune that a delegation of Tapi Company would visit next month to review the progress of the project and finalise the plan for construction.

Pakistan and India would receive 1.3 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) gas. IANS