Tapi Gas Pipeline - A Distant Dream

Byline: Ismat Sabir At last, a long delayed trans-regional gas pipeline project, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) framework agreement has been signed to construct a pipeline to supply natural gas to South Asia. The TAPI gas pipeline project was estimated to cost about $7.6 billion. The project has remained under discussion since 1990s but it could not take off due to war in Afghanistan. Turkmenistan has the second largest natural gas reserves of the world. Pakistan was keen to revive project to solve its energy crisis by constructing the TAPI pipeline through the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, which has strong hold of the Taliban and also its birthplace. Turkmenistan is looking to diversify energy sales from its traditional market of Russia, and is inviting investors from the West and China.