Islamabad, Feb 11 (IANS): Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Wednesday called for early completion of a trans-Afghan gas pipeline that will import natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India.

The prime minister presided over a ministerial-level meeting on the 1,680-km Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project in Islamabad, Xinhua news agency reported.

The estimated cost of the project was nearly $7.6 billion.

Sharif said the states concerned should take all steps necessary to start the project as soon as possible as its cost would continue to increase as time passed.

"We have pinned lots of hopes with this project and want it completed as soon as possible," the prime minister said.

The gas pipeline project will supply 3.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas annually from Turkmenistan for Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Officials from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and India attended the meeting.