The administration reports that Afghanistan has completed a feasibility study for the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.

Deputy Minister of Mines and Petroleum Zia Rahman Aryoubi said.

"The technical work...has been completed, and currently, work is underway in land acquisition. There is no problem in the implementation of this project," ToloNews quoted him as saying.

More than 800km of the 1,840km project is to run through Afghanistan's Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand, and Kandahar.

 Construction of the Turkmen section of TAPI started in December 2015. The Afghan segment was planned to start construction in August 2021.

However, during this period, the flag of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was raised in Kabul, and negotiations on this ambitious project had to start from scratch.

Security problems remain. Taliban field commanders are promising to form 30,000 fighters to protect TAPI infrastructure, which the Afghan branch of the Islamic State is threatening to destroy.

Investment is on the agenda. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), which has pledged over $1bn, has suspended its operations in Kabul.

International financial institutions are still waiting to recognize the new regime in Kabul, which has ignored calls for an inclusive government and still has its views on human rights, particularly women.

However, Pakistan's Oil Minister Musadik Malik said last year that the TAPI project is "on track" and can be completed within three to four years after achieving financial close.

TAPI Pipeline Company Ltd (TPCL) is implementing the project in which Turkmengaz holds a majority stake. The consortium includes the Afghan Gas Corporation, Pakistan's Inter State Gas Systems (Private) Limited, and India's GAIL.

Credits: Eziz Boyarov, Ashgabat