Pakistan defence minister Khawja Mohammed Asif has said that Pakistan will use its influence over the Afghan Taliban to ensure security of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline.
Pakistan defence minister Khawja Mohammed Asif has said that Pakistan will use its influence over the Afghan Taliban to ensure security of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline.
He said the project is very important for all four countries and will play a significant role in reducing the energy crisis in Pakistan.
“That is why we will make utmost efforts to complete it on time and ensure concerns regarding its security due to the situation in Afghanistan are removed,” he said in an interview with the BBC.
Asked about using Pakistan’s influence on the warring factions in Afghanistan — particularly the Afghan Taliban — to ensure the security of the TAPI project, Mr Asif answered in the affirmative.
“We will wield all our positive influence to ensure our interests,” he said, adding, “The project is also important for Afghanistan and that is why no Afghan stakeholder will oppose it.”
He cited the example of the US oil exploration firm Unicol, whose gas pipeline the Taliban guaranteed to protect when they were in gover-nment from 1996 to 2001.
