Despite India’s lack of interest, Pakistan focused on benefitting from TAPI: Kakar

Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said Pakistan is ready to reap the benefits of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline, despite India’s alleged lack of interest.

“On TAPI, there is a lot of enthusiasm from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said Kakar in an interview with Anadolu Agency, a state-run news agency of Turkiye, on the sidelines of the 16th Economic Cooperation Organization summit in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Thursday.

“It can ensure cheap and sustainable supply of energy to the Indian economy. But if they choose to remain out of the benefit of this whole arrangement, they still can do it,” he said.

“But my own understanding is that with or without India, the Turkmen gas can be exploited for the economic benefit of this region, and we are very much focused to achieve that target.”

The multi-billion-dollar TAPI project is a natural gas pipeline being developed by the Galkynysh – TAPI Pipeline Company Limited with participation of the Asian Development Bank. The pipeline will transport natural gas from the Galkynysh Gas Field in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India.

During the interview, Kakar termed Pakistan-Turkiye’s ties as “fabulous”, while calling for enhanced “coordination and cooperation” between the two allies.

“But that (cooperation) can be enhanced and upgraded. And some opportunities, even developing corridors, where the connectivity issue between Türkiye, Pakistan and Iran can be revived, which will offer many opportunities to all the nations and the whole region.”

History of TAPI pipeline

Plans for this pipeline have been in the works for years.

The project was conceived in the 1990s to generate revenue from Turkmenistan’s gas reserves by exporting natural gas via Afghanistan to Pakistan and India.

In November 2014, a special-purpose consortium known as the TAPI Pipeline Company (TPCL) was incorporated by Turkmengaz (majority stakeholder with 85% interest), Afghan Gas Enterprise (5%), Inter State Gas Systems (5%), and GAIL (5%) to execute the project, with Turkmengaz leading the consortium.

A stone-laying ceremony was held to commemorate the start of construction of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan section of the gas pipeline in December 2015.

The investment agreement for the development of the TAPI project was signed by the four countries in February 2016.

A ceremony marking the beginning of construction of the Afghanistan-Pakistan section of the pipeline was held in February 2018.

The pipeline is expected to transport 33 billion cubic metres of natural gas a year.