The IPI-TAPI Story

A Pakistani Cartoon.

The Pakistani jihad in Kashmir

For many years India has been negotiating with Iran and Pakistan for a gas pipeline through Pakistan for conveying Iran gas – usually referred to as IPI gas pipeline – $7.4 billion (Rs. 33,374 crore) Iran-Pakistan-India 2,300km gas pipeline project. Iran and Pakistan threatened to go ahead with China instead. Seems like an empty threat.

Soon after 26/11, a reader of the 2ndlook pointed out that biggest beneficiaries of 26/11 was possibly China and the West. So would be the Central Asian oil producers. After 26/11, the IPI (Iran-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline  was a dead duck. He speculated that the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India), a 1,044-mile pipeline, would be a clear winner. It seemed so outlandish at that time – but it has actually happened. By the way, India attended the first TAPI summit held at Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in April 2008.

Some interesting parallels

The point man for the sponsors of the Mumbai 26/11 attack was David Coleman Headley – a CIA agent – the brains behind the 26/11 attack. After 26/11, the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) oil/gas pipeline was in jeopardy. Even before that as India and the USA were readying the world for a nuclear deal, the last meeting on the IPI pipeline between Iran, Pakistan and India happened in July 2007.

Instead, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India Pipeline (TAPI) is being pushed by the Americans. Now all this would have been unremarkable – except that a 2ndlook reader predicted this turn of events 2 year ago.For many years India has been negotiating with Iran and Pakistan for a gas pipeline through Pakistan for conveying Iran gas – usually referred to as IPI gas pipeline. Who wins. Many think it is China.

Are we just getting some bedtime stories?

With India fixated on Pakistan how much does our security apparatus think of the West being the conspirators behind this attack? Two years after the 26/11 attack, this rather curious post appeared in Times of India.

Related Articles

• You: TAPI gas pipeline project finally comes to life (nation.com.pk)
• You: TAPI gasline accord inked (nation.com.pk)
• Gas pipeline to cross Afghanistan (bbc.co.uk)
• Agreement sought on Afghan-Pakistan gas pipeline (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Agreement sought on Afghan-Pakistan gas pipeline (sfgate.com)
• You: TAPI project to usher in new era: President (nation.com.pk)

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