Saarc summit: Gilani to take up Pakistan-Tajik road link project with Karzai
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday said that he would take up the Pakistan-Tajikistan road project with Afghan President Hamid Karzai during the forthcoming summit meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) to be held in the Maldives next month.
The prime minister was talking to Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Pir Karam Ali Shah, who called on him at the Prime Minister House in the federal capital. He said that the completion of the project would provide the shortest possible route to the people of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, besides reinvigorating their historical, cultural and trade ties spread over hundreds of years.
The road project as visualised will connect Pakistan with Tajikistan by passing through eight-kilometre-long Wakhan corridor of Afghanistan.
The prime minister said the project was compatible with the agenda of Saarc summit which is called ‘Connectivity’.
The prime minister said it was his vision to develop good relations with the countries of the region. “I visited a number of countries like Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, India, Iran, China and the Central Asian Republics to further my vision,” he said.
Gilani said that connectivity was intertwined with transit trade and Pakistan was keen to enhance trade with Afghanistan and beyond.
Recalling the signing of Transit Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said that trade among the countries of the region had to be enhanced for which establishment of road and rail networks was essential. Premier Gilani said that he would highlight the cause of connectivity at the Saarc summit because it would not only build bridges among people of the member countries but also create an enabling environment for their socio-economic development.
The Gilgit Baltistan governor told the prime minister that the construction of road on Pakistan’s side would require Rs2 billion, while Tajikistan had already completed the construction of road and bridge on its side of border. He said that he recently travelled to Tajikistan via old route to meet his relatives and friends there.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2011.
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Pakistanis having knowledge of the area would understand that the project has no practical value and just fantasy of Ill informed politicians, and bureaucrats. Tajikistan from Torkham is 609 KM via Kabul, Jable Saraj, Salang, Pull Khumri, Kunduz, Shirkhan. Distances are 223 KM Torkham Kabul, Kabul Shirkhan 386 KM. Road Condition between Torkham and Kabul is excellent, and Except some area obetween Saland and Doshi (80 KM) Road between Kabul and Shirkhan is also good. Salang Tunnels have been repaired recently and Road between Doshi and Salang is also being repaired. It takes about 10 Hours on a Taxi to travel from Torkham to Tajikistan Border. Security Condition is good (Same as on any Pakistani Road). It takes more than 12 Hours to Travel to Chitral from Islamabad, Plus the border of Afghanistan from Chitral is 43 KM. From Border Distance between Ishkashim is 43 Km. Ishkashim has a population of 10,000 and whole Pamir Region hasa population of Less than a million. From Ishkashim it takes 24 Hours to Travel to the Capital Dushanbe which is the biggest city of Tajikistan. As the region is located amongst the highest mountains of the world so travelling even 10 KM takes about an Hour. I can not understand the logic of Promotion of the link except it will benefit the Pamiri People.
Let's call it a first right step in so many years.............. Let's do it this time with good intentions.
@Rajendra Kalkhande:
this is not grand trunk road from kabul to dhaka........
the great game is over so now we have connection to tajikistan thru wakhan's eight kilometers.
tajikistan is free country and road connection will make three countries come together at arm length.
tajikistan is not far from pakistan but wakhan corridor comes like snake.
chitral has two connection now. one to gilgit the other to wakhan and onward to tajikistan.
For what and who is going to build it? Pakistan, Tajikstan, or Afghanistan have the means to build it? Who is going to use it under the present law and order situation in Pakistan and Afghanistan? One has to be mad.
Idle talk.
thats what Asians need true brotherhood and more trade and more security why are we so busy in killing and destroying each others countries while we can have trade routes better live styles and other things.
Road will have reach all the way to Dhaka. Hope it does not end at Wagah border.
common sense prevailing///may god bless all
HMmmMMMmmm good step,...