ISLAMABAD (PTI): Pakistan June 13 approved an ambitious project to link Pakistan with Tajikistan and other Central Asia republics through a railway line via western Afghanistan
The project expected to cost 600 million dollar envisages lying down of an 800 km line from Chaman in Pakistan’s western province of Baluchistan to Pushka in Tajikistan.
Announcing the decision after a cabinet meeting presided by Premier Benazir Bhutto information minister Khalid Ahmed Kharal told reporters that the Afghan government would be consulted as the railway link was to pass via Herat and Ganda har in western Afghanistan which would benefit from the project.
The western part of Afghanistan had been chosen as the law and Order situation there was better than other parts of the country
Kharal said an additional 100 million dollars would be required to upgrade the Quetta-Chaman railway sector the World Bank he said had agreed to fund a feasibility study expected to cost 1.5 million dollars.
The cabinet also approved a road fink between Pakistan and central Asia through China the Khunjrab pass. Bhutto said her government wanted to concentrate on strengthening trade mission abroad to boost exports. Pakistan she felt should have minimum but effective representation abroad instead of haying overstaffed missions
The cabinet also decided to privatize shares of Pakistan Telecommunications Corporation to the tune of Rs one billion The 10 rupee shares would be sold to employees of the corporation and overseas Pakistani and one individual would be able to purchase shares from Rs 1000 to Rs 1000.
Article extracted from this publication >> June 17, 1994
