Pakistan PM Sharif to Attend TAPI Groundbreaking Ceremony

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Turkmenistan on Friday for the inauguration of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, Pakistan’s Daily Times newspaper reported Wednesday.

Parliamentary Secretary for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahzadi Umarzadi Tiwana told the National Assembly that the project would help overcome shortage of gas in Pakistan.

Construction of much delayed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline is finally expected to commence on Dec. 13.

Turkmengaz, which was named project consortium leader for TAPI project in August, will kick off the construction of the gas pipeline. High level Afghan government officials including, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani who was invited by his counterpart President Berdymuhamedov, will also expected to attend the ceremony.

TAPI gas pipeline will export up to 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India over 30 years.