NEW DELHI, May 17: The Indian government had approved a deal to buy natural gas from Turkmenistan via a $7.6-billion pipeline passing through Afghanistan and Pakistan, reports said on Thursday.

The cabinet approved the signing of the Gas Sale and Purchase Agreement as well as the payment of a transit fee to Afghanistan and Pakistan for allowing the pipeline to pass through their territory, the Press Trust of India reported.

The 1,735-kilometre pipeline is likely to be operational by 2016, the news agency said, quoting a government official.

Turkmenistan has the world’s fourth-largest gas reserves and energy-hungry India and Pakistan are both eager to tap this source.

The announcement came after New Delhi said this week it would cut purchases of Iranian oil by 11 per cent following US pressure to isolate the Islamic republic over its nuclear programme.—AFP