Partial Progress Confirmed on TAPI Gas Pipeline Project in Afghanistan
The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has announced that approximately 100 kilometers of the route for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline within Afghanistan have been surveyed. Of this, 70 kilometers have been cleared and prepared for gas pipeline installation.
Homayoun Afghan, the ministry’s spokesperson, added that the initial phases of work on the pipeline have begun, with 14 kilometers of pipeline already laid. Additionally, around 60 kilometers of road have been constructed along the route to facilitate technical operations and speed up the project’s progress.
The TAPI project, which traverses Turkmenistan and extends through Afghanistan into Pakistan and India, has faced years of delays due to security, technical, and political challenges within Afghanistan. Although the Taliban administration is attempting to showcase progress on the project, concerns remain regarding a lack of transparency, technical capacity, and administrative stability, casting serious doubts on the project’s sustainability and completion.
Questions also persist about how security will be guaranteed in insecure areas along the pipeline route and the genuine involvement of the international community in advancing the project. So far, the Taliban have not provided clear details on these matters, heightening concerns over the final fate of the TAPI pipeline project.
