LASHKARGAH: Hundreds of people in southern Helmand province demanded the implementation of TUTAP power line through ‘Salang Pass’ here the other day.
The Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TUTAP) power project will import 500kv of electricity from the Central Asian countries to energy-starved Pakistan through Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Energy and Water recommended the project be implemented through the Salang Pass crossing Baghlan province, but thousands protestors opposed and stressed the scheme must pass through central Bamyan.
Hundreds of people, including civil society activists on Tuesday held a gathering in Lashkargah, the provincial capital.
Mohammad Shirzad, a civil society activist, said the government had prepared a number of economics plans but the neighboring countries were creating hurdles for their implementation.
He stressed the TUTAP should be executed without any change and delay through the Salang Pass.
Meanwhile, borders and tribal affairs director Ahmad Naveed said every citizen had national duty to cooperate with the government in executing the valuable TUTAP project.
He said creating differences among tribes only brought miseries and others exploited the outcome. “We support the implementation of the government’s past and present decisions.”
Abdul Satar Storai, a public representative, said the government should adopt a serious stance on implementing its plans for the sake of improvement in the security situation across the country.
