KABUL (SW) – Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan would soon hold a meeting to expedite work on the rail link, said an official on Monday.
Engineer Mirwais, an official with the Afghan Railways, told Salam Watandar that a tripartite meeting between the Afghan, Pakistani and Uzbek officials was scheduled in the coming days to discuss the corridor connecting Central Asia via Afghanistan to South Asia.
He added that most parts of the railway project pass through Afghanistan, which connects major cities and generates a lot of revenue. Mirwais said the project was not only strategically important for Afghanistan, but also for countries in the region.
According to him, the roadmap will be created and signed by the three countries at this meeting, and the start date and cost of the project will be determined. “Preparations are underway to create a plan, and Allah willing, the plan will be signed at a meeting soon, and with its signing, practical work on the project in Afghanistan will begin,” he said.
Meanwhile, Taj Mohammad Talash, an expert on economic issues, believes that the construction of this railway through Afghanistan is in the interest of the region and especially in Afghanistan. He said that with the implementation of this large project, many people will be provided with jobs and exports will increase.
According to Taj Mohammad Talash, this will add millions of dollars to national revenues, boost trade in the region, and benefit the project as a whole. “We believe that in the current context of Afghanistan, the implementation of such projects will bring strong economic benefits, and we can reap great economic benefits from this project in the long run,” he added.
It is worth mentioning that a large part of the railway that connects Central Asia to South Asia passes through a number of provinces of the country and connects the city of Jalalabad to Peshawar. Preliminary talks on the project were conducted by the previous government a year ago with two other countries, and an agreement was reached between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Uzbekistan.
The Islamic Emirate is now trying to start the implementation of this mega project as soon as possible, and the Ministry of Interior of the Islamic Emirate has taken over the security of this project, and 4,000 security forces are supposed to provide its security.
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