LAHORE: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Friday that Afghanistan was a landlocked country, however, it could play an effective role for an improved connectivity between Central Asia and South Asia.
He said that in this regard, Afghanistan was developing its infrastructure to come up with a new direction of connectivity through energy transmission, optical fiber optic and transport in an effort to cater to the modern age needs.
He expressed these view while addressing the Pak-Afghan Business Forum here at the Governor’s House, where Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, Prime Minister’s Advisor on Commerce, Trade and Textile Abdul Razak Dawood also spoke.
While a large number of business community leaders were also present.
The Afghan president said that Pakistan especially its private sector should come forward and take part in the infrastructural development in Afghanistan.
Giving a detailed overview of the economic perspectives and investment opportunities in his country, he said that Afghanistan had the potential of 50,000MW electricity transmission from Central Asia to South Asia.
He added that they were interested in improving its power transmission infrastructure, energy generation, natural gas exploration and supply mechanism, transport sector development, and enhanced export market relations with Pakistan.
Afghanistan had 92 per cent fibre optic connectivity that was being extended to China, Central Asia and Iran. Similarly, they were also laying vast network of railway lines and filling in the missing links which would help channelize the rail link between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, he maintained.
Ashraf Ghani said that development of human capital was also a key focus area of Afghan government and Afghan students were being equipped with various skills and technical knowhow. While, legal framework for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) was also in place in Afghanistan, he said and asserted that Pakistan’s private sector could benefit from infrastructural development projects.
The Afghan president said that Gwadar had great trade potential and Afghanistan could play a better role to expand its scope to Central Asian states.
He was of the view that ‘aid’ was not a solution to prosperity of a country but improving resources; enhancing productions, trade and exports could ensure real development of a country.
He said that he had discussed at length security matters with Pakistan, adding that peace was being restored in Afghanistan and they were committed to achieve this goal at all costs.
Earlier, the Punjab governor said the Afghan President’s visit to Pakistan would further strengthen relations between both brotherly Islamic countries.
While PM’s Advisor Abdul Razak Dawood said that they had fruitful discussion with the Afghan President regarding trade and connectivity as to how both the countries could truly progress and take forward the bilateral ties.
“We look to future with great hope,” he concluded.
At the end of the session, the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also answered the queries by the business community leaders.
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