Pakistan wants early implementation of TAPI project: PM Sharif

Islamabad: Terming it critical for the regional countries, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said he wanted immediate implementation of construction work on the $7.6 billion 1,680 km-long Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

The Prime Minster said this project - with a design capacity to supply 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per annum - is very important for all countries of the region and Pakistan is keen that it is expedited, according to an official statement.

He said Pakistan would be happy to play a positive role in this regard. "We are facing shortage of gas, and this project will help us immensely in meeting the deficit. We all should take this opportunity seriously so that we can fulfil our obligation to our peoples," he said.

Sharif was chairing a TAPI meeting attended by Yagshgeldi Kakayev, Director of the Turkmen State Agency for Management and Use of Hydrocarbon Resources; Daoudshah Saba, Afghan Minister of Mines and Petroleum; Dharmendra Pradhan, Indian Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas; Klaus Gerhaeusser, Director-General of the Asian Development Bank and other senior local officers.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the States concerned should take all steps necessary to "start the project as soon as possible as its cost would continue to increase as time passes".

"We have pinned lots of hopes with this project and want it completed as soon as possible," he added. The visiting ministers of the member countries shared the views of Pakistan on this very important project for the region and called this a win-win project for all the nations, the statement said.

The meeting agreed that a consortium leader would soon be finalised. The Prime Minister was informed that an Intergovernmental Agreement was signed by the Head of States of all the members of TAPI in 2010.

The gas pipeline project is a 1,680 km-pipeline with design capacity to supply 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas per annum from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.