The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry has hailed the launching of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project and termed it "a revolution in the energy sector". The proposed 1,735-kilometre long (1,078-mile) pipeline will carry 33 billion cubic metres (of gas a year from Galkynysh, making it one of the world's biggest onshore gas fields.
Lahore Chamber office-holders President Sheikh Muhammad Arshad, Senior Vice President Almas Hyder and Vice President Nasir Saeed in a joint statement on Monday said the leaders of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India have laid the foundation for a new era of progress and prosperity in South Asia. They said they hopes the gas pipe project would start during the given time span. "It is a good omen that the present regime is using all options to fulfil the energy needs. The project is a game changer for all stakeholders. Therefore, we have to monitor this mega project continuously. It is of a great regional significance. An early execution of the project will help energy-starved Pakistan to overcome the ongoing crisis that is hitting the industrial sector hard."
They also appreciated the benefits the project could bring for the productivity of export-based industry and promotion of the political and economic interaction between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Pakistan and India each will get 42 percent of that volume and the rest will be purchased by Afghanistan. The United States strongly supports the pipeline plan, calling it "a transformative project for the entire region". If implemented, it will help attract much-needed investment to Afghanistan, increasing budget revenues through transit fees and contribute to the country's overall development. The project too is crucial for India and Pakistan who are both facing severe energy shortages.
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