Three Afghan provinces want to buy power from Pakistan

Governors of three Afghan provinces have asked the central government and the international community to launch a reconstruction campaign in the south-eastern region now that the security situation has improved.
The demand came at a meeting of Khost, Paktia and Paktika governors in the south-eastern city of Khost. A number of provincial department heads and representatives of the reconstruction team (PRT), UNHCR, UNAMA and NGOs briefed the session.
Provincial authorities unanimously sought power purchase from Pakistan to electrify the south-eastern region. They agreed the next meeting of the council on reviewing the overall situation would be held in Paktika.
Khost governor Mirajuddin Patan, who chaired the meeting, threw light on the Greater Paktia Development Council, which works for the uplift of the three provinces.
Paktika's Rural Development Department chief engineer Khaled Khan Bhadur, addressing the participants, said they had completed a number of projects costing 4 million dollars under the National Solidarity Programme (NSP).
Some other schemes were in the process of execution, he added. Dispelling the impression that security in the province is on a nosedive, he insisted the overall situation was satisfactory.
The director urged the central government as well as the global fraternity to initiate reconstruction projects in Paktika.
Hakim Taniwal, governor of Paktia, demanded of the Karzai administration to build dams in Machalgho and Ahmadkhel areas. He also drew the authorities' attention towards the dysfunctional health sector while underlining the need for the establishment of more hospitals and health clinics in his province.
Engineer Mohammad Omar, head of Khost's Rural Development Department, called for a new census in all the three provinces as all viable economic plans were worked out on the basis of population.
He stressed the need of building water reservoirs for irrigating cultivable lands and power generation, pavement of the Ghulam Khan-Khost road and the launch of housing schemes in districts to ease the increasing pressure on Khost's civic infrastructure and traffic congestion.
Speaking on the occasion, the UNAMA representative pointed out they were tasked with conducting the elections and launching reconstruction projects in the three provinces.