Pakistani Expert: US Unable to Replace Peace Pipeline Project with TAPI

A senior Pakistani expert blasted the US for its attempts to dissuade Islamabad from striking a deal with Tehran on a pipeline project which is due to take Iran’s rich gas reserves to his energy-hungry country, and said Washington cannot replace the project with the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India TAPI pipeline project.

“Given the current conditions of the region, Washington cannot replace Iran’s Peace gas pipeline project with TAPI irrespective of all its attempts,” Hassan Asgari told FNA on Wednesday.

The TAPI project envisages building 1,680 km of pipeline, with a total gas capacity of 90 million standard cubic meters per day. Of the 90 cubic meters gas the pipeline would carry from Turkmenistan, Afghanistan would consume 14 cubic meters, while India and Pakistan would account for 38 cubic meters each.

“Given the insecure conditions of Afghanistan, this project cannot be put into action in the near future,” Asgari underlined.

The Pakistani government has on many occasions reiterated its resolve to push ahead with the $1.5 billion Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline project but the US has put intense pressures on Islamabad to reverse its decision.

According to the project proposal, the pipeline will begin from Iran’s Assalouyeh Energy Zone in the south and stretch over 1,100 km through Iran. In Pakistan, it will pass through Baluchistan and Sindh but