Construction of the four-nation gas pipeline project between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) that remained suspended due to the volatile situation in Afghanistan will soon begin in Herat province in northwest Afghanistan, media reports said citing Taliban appointed Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
Baradar made these remarks during a meeting with scholars, tribal elders, domestic investors, and local businessmen in Herat province. According to the Taliban-run Bakhtar state news agency, the Taliban official told the people of Herat in a meeting on Friday, September 2, that the province will benefit from the TAPI project's impending start of construction.
Talibani appointed Deputy PM Baradar announced the establishment of an industrial town in the Pol-e-Hashim region of Herat province adding that the construction of the Pashdan and Shindand dams would soon be resumed, which came to a halt as the previous government collapsed to the Taliban.
Construction of Pashdan Dam in Herat province has come to a halt since the fall of the previous government in August, leaving the fate of the project up in the air.
Pashdan Dam, one of the largest infrastructure projects of Afghanistan, is situated in Karukh district, 25km east of Herat city. The hydroelectric dam was scheduled for completion by the end of 2021. However, work has been suspended on the project, and the dam is only 85 per cent finished.
The situation in Afghanistan since Taliban's takeover has remained volatile.
Last month, a number of blasts were reported in the capital city of Kabul, claiming dozens of lives.
This series of blasts comes on the heels of one year of Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Rights groups said the Taliban have broken multiple pledges to respect human rights and women's rights.
After capturing Kabul in August last year, the Islamic authorities have imposed severe restrictions on women's and girls' rights, suppressed the media, and arbitrarily detained, tortured, and summarily executed critics and perceived opponents, among other abuses.
Rights groups say that the Taliban's human rights abuses have brought widespread condemnation and imperilled international efforts to address the country's dire humanitarian situation.
( With inputs from ANI )
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