TAPI Progress Renews Pakistan’s Prospects for Central Asian Gas

Construction progress on the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline has renewed prospects for a future energy link between Central Asia and Pakistan.

Recent reporting indicates that 122.3 kilometres of pipeline had been welded and laid in Afghanistan’s Herat province by mid-September 2026.

Construction Advances Toward Herat

Work on the Serhetabat–Herat section represents a tangible step forward for the long-discussed project.

The corridor is intended to carry Turkmen natural gas through Afghanistan to Pakistan and India. Its planned capacity is approximately 33 billion cubic metres annually.

Initial supplies to Afghanistan could establish an operating section before the full route reaches South Asian markets.

What Progress Means for Pakistan

For Pakistan, completing TAPI could provide an additional source of natural gas and strengthen regional energy connections.

However, progress near Herat does not establish a delivery date for Pakistani consumers. Supplies would depend on completing downstream infrastructure and the necessary commercial and cross-border arrangements.

The latest developments improve the project’s prospects, while substantial work remains before Pakistan can receive gas through the pipeline.