STAFF REPORT IBD: The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) has claimed that the government has been wasting time on a costly and highly uncertain Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gasline project while ignoring the only viable option of importing gas from Iran.
America is opposing the Pak-Iran gasline project to counter Tehrans influence while throwing full weight behind TAPI to benefit western multinational companies that enjoy control over Dauletabad gas reserves, it said.
Increasing stakes of American, elite in the oil and gas giants has become a threat to stability of many countries, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President of the PEW.
He said that the US policies have been damaging Pakistan while our government seems reluctant to move forward with a plan to import natural gas from Iran despite knowing that there is no proper substitute available.
He said that the proposed TAPI, if materialised, may not help Pakistan in the long run as it is part of the US hidden agenda behind the war on terror.
Mughal said that Pakistan cannot ignore the global energy giant, Iran, on the cost of its economy to fulfil objectives of the controversial US foreign policy.
Peace pipeline is a practical idea in comparison to unfeasible TAPI which will cross Afghanistan’s Southern regions, he noted.