ISLAMABAD: Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline will be constructed by 2018, while the Turkmenistan�Afghanistan�Pakistan�India Pipeline (TAPI) project will be completed by January 2020.

This was stated by Minister for Petroleum and Natural Resources Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who was speaking at a media briefing about the government�s performance during the last three years.

Talking to reporters, Federal Minister for Water and Power Khawaja Asif said that power outages for domestic consumers had been reduced from 15 hours to six or seven hours, which will further come down this December.

He said around 10,400 megawatts of electricity would be added to the national grid by 2018. He added that technical and line losses had been reduced by 24 per cent, and Rs 10 billion had been saved in this respect.

Power Secretary Mohammad Younus Dagha said that under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, 8,630 out of 10,400 megawatts were being implemented.

While briefing the participants about progress in the communications sector, National Highway Authority (NHA) Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar said work was underway on 13 motorway and highway projects, amounting to Rs 850 billion. He said the length of motorways in the country would reach to 1,800 kilometers by 2018.

Ashraf said Lowari Tunnel project would be completed in the first quarter of the next year, adding that under CPEC Khunjerab would be connected to Gwadar. He said a 650 kilometre-long highway from Gwadar to Sorab would be completed during the current year.

By Daily Times