It is heartening to note that the government, after considerable loss of time, discussions with neighbouring countries on reviving the proposed gas pipeline has taken steps in the right direction. Given the present energy scenario, natural gas is lifeline the nation, and immediate measures to bridge the gap between demand and supply should be taken.
To meet the requirements the government had three options, namely the proposed Qatar-Pakistan, Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan board. Earlier, the government of Pakistan had decided that tenders for one of the most politically and economically viable projects would be issued to commence work by 2004. Progress is still too show.
The only outcome would be further delays and cost escalations of each multi-billion dollar project, which require at least five years to complete. To meet the huge shortfall in the supply of natural gas, about 40 percent of which is at present consumed for power generation, there is a critical need to make accelerated progress on the implementation of the most suitable project.
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