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Turkmenistan highlights TAPI pipeline as key driver of regional integration

“TAPI is not just an energy route, but a corridor of peace and cooperation, creating a sustainable foundation for economic growth and good neighborliness,” he said.

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Turkmenistan has reaffirmed its commitment to the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline, calling it a cornerstone of regional economic cooperation and a model for energy-driven connectivity across Asia.

Speaking at the Oil and Gas of Turkmenistan – 2025 international conference in Ashgabat, State Minister and Chairman of the State Concern Turkmengas, Maksat Babayev, said the country continues to pursue a long-term strategy of diversifying export routes, with TAPI serving as its flagship initiative.

Babayev described the pipeline as a “symbol of integration and shared prosperity,” designed to transport up to 33 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas annually from Turkmenistan’s massive Galkynysh field to energy-hungry markets in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

“TAPI is not just an energy route, but a corridor of peace and cooperation, creating a sustainable foundation for economic growth and good neighborliness,” he said.

According to Babayev, Turkmenistan has already completed its section of the pipeline, and construction has begun on the Serhetabat–Herat segment inside Afghanistan. Work is progressing in coordination with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), which has pledged security guarantees for the project.

He added that the fourth phase of the Galkynysh field—one of the world’s largest natural gas reserves—will commence early next year, providing new export volumes for TAPI and other international routes.

A regional project with global significance

First proposed in the 1990s, the TAPI project has gained renewed momentum in recent years as regional governments seek to enhance economic ties and energy security. The 1,800-kilometre pipeline will begin in Mary, Turkmenistan, cross Afghanistan’s Herat, Farah, Helmand, and Kandahar provinces, continue through Quetta and Multan in Pakistan, and terminate in Fazilka, India, near the border with Pakistan.

Once operational, the project will enable Turkmenistan to diversify its gas exports beyond China — currently its primary buyer — while providing Afghanistan with transit fees, energy supplies, and new economic opportunities. For Pakistan and India, TAPI offers a much-needed boost to energy access amid growing domestic demand.

The project is being developed by TAPI Pipeline Company Limited (TPCL), a consortium led by Turkmengas with participation from the state-owned companies of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

Despite facing delays due to security and financing challenges, the TAPI pipeline remains one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the region — one that Turkmenistan views as central to its broader vision of transforming the country into a hub for energy cooperation between Central and South Asia.

“Through TAPI, we are not only exporting gas, but also building trust, partnership, and lasting peace in our shared region,” Babayev concluded.

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Afghanistan says Pakistani military post destroyed near Spin Boldak

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Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense says a Pakistani military post near Spin Boldak was targeted and destroyed after Pakistani forces opened fire toward Afghanistan.

Ministry spokesperson Enayatullah Khwarazmi said in a post on X that Afghan forces suffered no casualties or damage in the clash.

Khwarazmi also rejected claims made by the Pakistani side about the incident, describing them as “propaganda.”

 

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Mujahid: Pakistan attacking Afghanistan to evade Mecca Pact responsibilities

He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”

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Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has accused Pakistan of carrying out attacks on Afghanistan to divert attention from its domestic problems and to evade responsibilities under the “Mecca Pact.”

Speaking at a religious seminary in Kandahar, Mujahid said Pakistan was facing political and economic challenges at home and was using attacks on Afghanistan to shift public attention away from protests and its internal problems.

“Pakistan, by violating the territory of its neighboring Islamic country, wants to divert attention from its failures,” he said.

Mujahid also criticized Pakistan’s political situation, claiming that political space had been restricted and that freedoms guaranteed under the country’s laws were not being allowed.

He said Pakistan’s economic problems had also increased significantly and accused the country of seeking to distract the public from those problems by engaging in conflict with Afghanistan.

Mujahid further accused Pakistan’s military leadership of putting the Pakistani people at risk through what he described as its “false position.”

He warned that the Islamic Emirate would give an “appropriate response” to what he called the Pakistani military regime’s “bullying.”

His remarks followed Pakistani airstrikes on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost provinces on Thursday, which Afghan authorities said killed four civilians.

The strikes came three days after attacks on Kunar and Paktika provinces, in which Afghan authorities said three civilians were killed.

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Kabul rejects U.S. claim that meth seized in Pakistan was of Afghan origin

Balkhi said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.

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Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi has rejected a U.S. claim that 463 kilograms of synthetic drugs seized in Pakistan were of Afghan origin, calling the attribution “unfounded and politically motivated.”

Balkhi said the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad should investigate the origin of the seized drugs in Pakistan rather than attributing them to Afghanistan.

“The attribution by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad of the synthetic drugs bound for Sri Lanka and intercepted in Pakistan through joint U.S.-Pakistani efforts as ‘Afghan-origin’ is an unfounded and politically motivated allegation,” Balkhi said.

He said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has imposed an absolute ban on the production, trafficking and use of all types of narcotics in Afghanistan.

Balkhi also claimed that following the ban in Afghanistan, the cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotics have increased “on the other side of the Durand Line.”

He further argued that Afghanistan does not have the capacity to produce synthetic drugs and said crossing points along the Durand Line have been completely closed to all movement for nearly a year.

His remarks came after the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said U.S. and Pakistani anti-narcotics authorities had seized 463 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine worth an estimated $21 million and bound for Sri Lanka.

The embassy said the operation led to multiple arrests and highlighted ongoing U.S. cooperation and training with Pakistani authorities to disrupt international drug-trafficking networks.

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