NEW DELHI: India on Thursday decided to join the U.S.-backed Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan gas pipeline project. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
This comes in the backdrop of the difficulties over the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project. Not only has Iran been asking for a high price for the gas it would sell to India, the project also runs the risk of being blacklisted for participation by U.S. and European financiers and companies.
Easier to implement
The U.S., which has accused Iran of harbouring nuclear weapon ambitions, has urged Pakistan to abandon the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline project and instead consider the alternative Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) project.
The project to get gas through pipeline from Turkmenistan will be easier to implement than the Iran pipeline project, as it already has the backing of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). In mid-February, India participated for the first time as an “observer” in the ninth meeting of the steering committee of the TAP project.
The proposed natural gas pipeline will stretch from the Turkmenistan/Afghanistan border in southeastern Turkmenistan to Multan in Pakistan covering 1,271 km. With the Cabinet’s decision on Thursday, the pipeline will be extended by another 640 km. The project is estimated to cost $ 3.5 billion — $2.9 billion for the segment up to Pakistan and $600 million for the extension to India.
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
But not through Pakistan? Pipelines are being blown up every other day in Pakistan. As long as this is guaranteed by some third country, it will go through. Otherwise, Pakistan is as much, if not more, unstable than Afghanistan.
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
LOL. Buddy you need to stop watching Zee TV for your news.
The problem we have in Baluchistan is a bunch of feudal lords and his henchmen trying to intimidate the government in order to stop development in Baluchistan and continue to make Baluchistan a backward province in which they can continue to control the public.
They were defeated in 1948, in 1976 and they will be in 2006.
These people have no future, nor does the local populace back them aslo. The Pakistani government has been too pre-occupied with other issues to deal with this but rest assured Baluchistan shall modernize.
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
i want to make it 10000% clear that you know that without pakistan, the deal is dead.
Here is a bit of prespective: Pakistan is a transit country, it is not a major destination or the gas. Pakistan's gain in this is transit fees. Just like the Iran-India pipeline, if India backs out, there is no pipeline and no transit fees.
Moreover, Pakistan hopes the pipeline will also serve as a medium for selling its own natural gas. As Musharraf said in Tehran, the pipeline is “the country's economic salvation”.
Now particularly with the US nuclear deal, the natural gas is not as pressing to India. India is planning on using nuclear enegry to help power its economy. The current levels of gas imports will be sufficient, in conjunction with nuclear power.
Any deal, now, India can use as a foreign policy carrot. That is exactly what India is doing. There is no question of Pakistan not participating.
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
First use those carrots (if there are any) to cure the bhook nang of BIMAROU states bud!
abey dhakkan....we are not beggers. we will give money for whatever we buy or take. Unlike your country which gets its loan waivered for removing a problem which again your own country created. so now who is a begger?...Mind your langauge... you seem hell bent on not having decent talk.
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
But i do think india does need to look for ways to import energy. Including this deal which involves pakistan as a transit. I only feel india should do this with caution.
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
First use those carrots (if there are any) to cure the bhook nang of BIMAROU states bud!
Mate, yet the poor india has a higher ppp/capita then pakistan. india has $3400 and pakistan has $2400, higher literacy and lower infant mortality rate then pakistan.
Just our IT software and services and BPO industry will be bigger then the whole pakistan economy by 2015:).
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
Once agains China has left India behind - it is already building pipelines from Central Asia (Kazakhstan) and Russia for the provision of new energy to sustain it's massively growing economy. India should accept that any pipelines from Iran or the CAR's will have to come through Pakistani territory.
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
and what will be population of super rich india by then???
weather india take part or not TAP is going to be build, so its their own need to access this sooner or later.
I dont think Pakistan is looking to export own gas through these lines, if they want to they could have done that already cause there is already a pipeline from Sui to Karachi.
you like it or not, its a business deal and based on demand. plus US is not there to help afghanis, they want to make TAP a reality so they can tap contracts and tap the gas as well.
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
Either TAPI or IPI ....all of these countries need the pipelines for one reason or another....so sensible thing is to start working on them & solve the energy crisis of the region...
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
it wont be super rich, but the std. of living would be better then what it is today. The difference between the ppp/capita of india and pakistan which is right now $1000 would have increased as well.
Re: India to join U.S.-backed gas pipeline project
That ppp is just one measure. If you want to f@rt about this number, then Jamaica has $4200, and Tinidad has its number as $12,900. Anyone who has been to these basket case countries should know that Jamaica is not better off than Bharat or Pakistan. If you insist on making this number “the standard”, then you better find a competent person to examine your head.
Just in case you shout about these numbers, check out for yourself at this link.
