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  • Jan 13th, 2004
  • Comments Off on Afghanistan assured of increased co-operation
Pakistan has assured of increased co-operation to Afghanistan in trade, education, communication and infrastructure development, Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali told reporters on return from a daylong visit to Kabul on Monday.

He said that Pakistan would establish medical facilities including a Kidney Centre at Jalalabad and a Limb Centre in Kandahar to mitigate sufferings of the Afghan people. The number of scholarships being offered to Afghan students would be doubled, he added.

Pakistan also offered training facilities to Afghan police and diplomats.

The Prime Minister said that National Bank of Pakistan would open its branches at Kandahar and Jalalabad within the next three months while Habib Bank would also be opening its branches in Afghanistan.

He said that Pakistan Railway would carry out survey for Chaman-Kandahar railway line and Afghanistan has been requested to award contract to Pakistan for the purpose. Afghanistan has agreed to allow use of its territory for transport and communication by Pakistan during closure of Lowari Pass.

The Prime Minister said the two countries have agreed to enhance their bilateral trade from current $ 620 million, gradually to one billion dollars, per annum.

He said Pakistan has asked Afghan Government to identify priority areas for utilisation of $ 100 million assistance already offered by Islamabad.

Jamali said he briefed Afghan President Hamid Karzai about his talks with Indian Prime Minister on the issue of gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India through Afghanistan and Pakistan. President Hamid Karzai was supportive of this important project, he added.

The Prime Minister said he took up the issue of release of Pakistani prisoners with the Afghan President. Karzai told him that Afghanistan would immediately release 94 prisoners, and appreciated Pakistan's goodwill gesture of releasing 149 Afghan prisoners.

He said Afghanistan was highly appreciative of Pakistan's support in security and rebuilding efforts.

He said that Pakistan and Afghanistan would have regular Secretary and Ministerial level meetings to ensure implementation of the decisions already taken by the two countries.

JMC 'VERY PRODUCTIVE'

APP ADDS: Talking to PTV, Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz termed Pak-Afghan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) meeting 'very productive.'

He said, "JMC meeting between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been very productive."

Giving details of the meeting, he said, We have talked about increase in trade between the two countries. The figures of bilateral trade show that in next financial year both countries could reach about 1 billion dollars and even higher in trade, the minister said.

He said, "Banking side is also doing very well, a branch of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) has been opened," adding, "we have requested for more branches, a branch in Jalalabad and in Kandahar, which the Afghan government will consider."

In addition, the two countries have reviewed the projects, which Pakistan is going to execute in Afghanistan, Shaukat Aziz said.

Elaborating the projects, he said, the major project was Jalalabad-Torkham road. He said, "we also discussed rail link between Chaman and Kandahar, for which Pakistan Railways is completing the feasibility study."

Several other projects are in the pipeline and all these would mean closer economic co-operation between the two countries, the Finance Minister added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2004


Copyright Associated Press of Pakistan, 2004


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