The representatives of India and Pakistan signed a new gas deal with Turkmenistan, a move that will boost the proposed development of a gas pipeline costing US $ 7.6 billion through Afghanistan.

The proposed 1,800-kilometre pipeline will cut across Afghanistan and supply fuel to the south Asian nations. Officials from India's state-owned GAIL Ltd and Pakistan's Inter State Gas System agreed to the deal today under which they will receive gas through a pipeline. The pipeline across Afghanistan is expected t pump close to 90 million cubic meters a day.

The parties have not announced the amount of gap to be purchased by the nations of the price for the gas. Even as the sale deal is finalized, the project faces a big challenge of planning the route across the dangerous areas of Afghanistan.

The U. S.-backed pipeline running across Afghanistan is set to increase economic integration and is also seen as an alternative to the Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline. Turkmenistan's state gas company Turkmengaz entered signed gas sales and purchase agreements with Pakistan's Inter State Gas Systems and Indian state-run utility GAIL.

Klaus Gerhaeusser, director-general of the Central and West Asia Department at the Asian Development Bank said that each country is expected to gain in the process and expressed that it would not only boost peace but also bring prosperity to the people.