Pakistan would construct a kidney hospital at Jalalabad in Afghanistan at a cost of Rs 395 million in the health sector project. An agreement to this affect was signed between Planning Commission and National Logistic Cell (NLC) of Pakistan for initiating the project.
Brigadier Zulfiqar Hussain inked the agreement on behalf of the NLC while Deputy Chief Planning Commission Masood ul Hassan Qureshi represented the Planning Commission.
Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Muhammad Akram Sheikh, Federal Relief Commissioner Major General Farooq Ahmed Khan and Deputy Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan Samim Hamraz also witnessed the signing ceremony.
It is the 2nd Contract which is being awarded to National Logistics Cell.
The contract has been awarded at a cost of Rs 395 million to NLC.
The project is likely to be completed in 18 months.
The first contract awarded to National Logistics Cell in October, 2005 was "Allama Iqbal Art Faculty at Kabul University" which pertained to Education sector. The construction work on the project is also in progress.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Muhammad Akram Sheikh said that President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz are taking keen interest in the socio economic development of Afghanistan.
He added that Pakistan wants a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan as it is in the interest of Afghanistan, Pakistan and the entire region.
Dr Sheikh added that Pakistan government has taken a number of initiatives for the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan and wants to do for the benefit of the brothers and sisters in Afghanistan.
This, he said is in continuation of Pakistan's assistance of US $100 million earmarked for Reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan. Under this programme, a large number of projects are being executed in Afghanistan, he added.
Dr Shaikh said that Government of Pakistan has recently earmarked another US $100 million for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Reconstruction/Rehabilitation activities in Afghanistan.
In his remarks Deputy Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan thanked Pakistan for its support and contribution in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan. He added that a stable and prosperous Afghanistan is in the interest of the entire region.