CRRA wants feasibility study on Afghan rail projects in six months

Under the plan, rail link between Peshawar and Jalalabad will be built

ISLAMABAD:

Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Dr Muhammad Jehanzeb Khan has asked the Communication Division to conduct the feasibility study for building 145 kilometres Peshawar-Jalalabad Rail Link and 73.7km Torkham-Jalalabad Additional Carriageway and complete it in six months.

The deputy chairman also asked the Ministry of National Health Services to prepare the feasibility study for four 50-bed hospitals being set up in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Chairing a meeting of the Committee for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Afghanistan (CRRA) here on Tuesday, Jehanzeb said, “The government of Pakistan is keen to help the people of Afghanistan and strengthen the partnership between the two countries.”

Ambassador of Pakistan to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan, Deputy Head of Afghan Mission in Pakistan, Raheemullah Qatran, representatives of relevant ministries and senior officials of the Planning Commission were in attendance.

The deputy chairman said that peace and stability in Afghanistan would translate into peace and stability in Pakistan, adding that both the countries were connected through religious, social and cultural means.

The committee reviewed procurement, installation and commissioning of medical equipment for the hospitals in Kabul, award of 3,000 scholarships to Afghan students, compliance of the decisions taken in the 15th meeting of the CRRA and new projects proposed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The committee was briefed that the relief package – ‘Programme for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation of Afghanistan’ – was launched in 2001.

“At present, 20 projects costing $148.35 million have been implemented while nine projects costing $221.83 million are under execution in Afghanistan.”

Qatran thanked the government of Pakistan for the development initiatives undertaken in Afghanistan, saying that empowering youth of Afghanistan through skill development and education will create goodwill between the two nations.

Jehanzeb advised convening another review meeting within six weeks to fast track the work on the projects.