September 06, 2008

Turmoil in Pakistan may delay TAP gas pipe line

Daily times reported that the current political turmoil followed by assassination of the former Prime Minister ms Benazir Bhutto has caused a further delay in the minister level talks on Turkmenistan-Afghanistan Pakistan gas pipeline project.

Sources in Petroleum and Natural Resources ministry told Daily Times here Saturday that now the talks on TAP gas pipeline project would be held in February next year. Earlier the talks were scheduled to be held on November 27th to November 28th 2007 in Islamabad but due to imposition of state of emergency in Pakistan, other partners of the project stayed away to join talks.

The report added that “Other partners like Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have indicated to join the talks in February next year, however, the dates have not been finalized yet.”

The proposed 1,680 pipeline will run from Daulatabad gas fields to Afghanistan and from there it will run alongside the highway from Herat to Kandhar and then via Quetta to Multan.