Watchdog Warns Against Rising Security Threats Around TAPI

SEATTLE (Oil Monster): The Natural Resources Monitoring Network (NRMN) on Wednesday raised concerns over growing insecurity threats around Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project. 

NRMN says that there will be serious challenges ahead of the implementation of TAPI if the ongoing security issues around the project are not tackled. 

NRMN says the current situation in Farah city indicates that government does not have the will to take serious security measures to ensure the security of the multinational project. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior (MoI) and the Ministry of Defense (MoD) have said government has outlined a comprehensive security plan to ensure security of the project. 

“Enemies of Afghanistan have always tried to hinder the way for the implementation of this project, but we are committed to providing security to this project,” said MoI spokesman Najib Danish. 
 
Based on the timetable, only one and half years is left to complete construction of the project, but the implementation phase of the project has not yet started. 

“Recently there have been indications that the government is step by step excluding TAPI from its priorities, because recent efforts to take over Farah shows that government has not done anything to ensure the security of TAPi gas pipeline,” said NRMN chief Ibrahim Jaffari. 

After years of waiting, work finally started on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India pipeline project in April following a ground-breaking ceremony in Herat to mark the occasion. 

Courtesy: www.tolonews.com