on paper. The energy-starved AfPak region and India need oil and gas, and the pipeline from Turkmenistan would take care of part of the gas deficit, if and when the project sees the light of day, said the Dawn in an editorial published Wednesday. Excerpts: An indication of the problems involved is the secrecy surrounding the document signed by the Pakistan, Afghan and Turkmen presidents, and India's energy minister. The document has not been made public, and nobody knows the cost of the project or when work will begin. The ambitious 1,700 km pipeline project was conceived in the late 90's but was abandoned because of strife in Afghanistan. Peace and finances are the two major problems, the latter being the lesser of the two. The Asian Development Bank's representative at Ashkabad was noncommittal about funding, and it is doubtful whether any of the western energy giants will chip in given the disastrous security situation across the pipeline's prospective route. In sharp contrast, we have the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project which, despite India's pullout under American pressure and other considerations, is at a relatively advanced stage. The pipeline's security will be a problem in the Pakistan part of it, and that is undeniably a hurdle that must be crossed by political means. Washington could possibly continue to pressure Islamabad against such a deal for geopolitical reasons but those are hardly relevant to a commercial deal between the two neighbors. Tapi could remain a pipedream for years, for it is linked to a final peace settlement in Afghanistan and America has said it will stay in the AfPak region till 2014. That is hardly conducive to Tapi's fruition. On the other hand, the bilateral Pakistan-Iran project could become a going concern, if only Washington realized that despite its reservations about the deal, an economically stable Pakistan is in America's interests. __
