The lukewarm response by Karzai government has diminished the hopes for laying 110 million dollar rail track between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bilateral relations between neighbouring countries have soured after fresh volley of allegations over border infiltration.
Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to build a railway track of about 107 kilometers from Chaman to Kandahar to enhance people-to-people contact and to promote trade between the two sides.
Islamabad had promised to provide all out technical assistance to Kabul for construction of the rail link and a feasibility study was carried out a few months back.
"We have completed our feasibility report and it has now been handed over to Kabul for its final decision," an official of the Railways Ministry told Business Recorder.
He conceded the railway authorities were awaiting the response from Afghanistan for over half a year. It is learnt that both sides had agreed to approach donor agencies to generate around 110 million dollar funds. However, the cold response from Kabul, especially in issuing No Objection Certificate (NOC) for construction has dimmed the chances of the rail link project.
Pakistan government desperately wants the project to get underway as it would not only strengthen bilateral trade with Afghanistan, but would also open up opportunities to expand the rail network to Central Asian states.
"We plan to extend the rail track in the second phase of the project from Kandahar to Khushka (Turkmenistan)," the official said. He believed that the Chaman-Kandahar rail link was imperative to get access to Central Asian states where a vast railway network already exists. "We have requested Afghan government several times to take the project seriously but there is no positive response so far," he added.