The Chief Executive Officer and chairman of the board of TAPI Pipeline Company limited Muhammetmyrat Amanov while speaking at a public talk on the implementation of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project informed the attendees that the construction of the project would begin in early 2019. Pakistan needs not to abandon its advocacy of prompt completion of TAPI. The reason that Pakistan needs to leave no stone unturned in the completion of TAPI is apparent. Pakistan is facing energy crisis for almost a decade. The energy crisis has hampered its economic growth. It is a fact that energy is a vital force behind the development of modern and industrial societies. The timely completion of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline project will cater Pakistan’s growing needs of energy in domestic and commercial sectors. Pakistan will consume around 42% of the gas that this pipeline will carry.
However, TAPI project is not an ordinary pipeline project. Multiple benefits are associated with TAPI. Apart from being a cheaper substitute for liquid petroleum gas (LPG), the pipeline project will also ensure regional connectivity between these four countries. The pipeline initiative will also ensure the populations of these countries benefiting from the long-term energy security provided by the project. The pipeline can prove instrumental in facilitating a unique level of trade and cooperation across the region, while also supporting peace and security between the four nations. Pakistan and Afghanistan have already given sovereign guarantees, which should assure the other partners that the two states want the completion of the project promptly. Some other benefits that Pakistan can secure from the project also include new employment and an increase in its revenues through transit fees. It is worth mentioning that the plan for the TAPI project was initially conceived in the 1990s. However, one factor or another proved to be a hurdle in its completion. The growing energy demands in Pakistan and India instructs that the project should not be delayed any further.
Source:Â https://nation.com.pk/08-Dec-2018/tapi-pipeline-connecting-the-region
