Kabul asks for Pakistani experts to import power

By Khalid Mustafa

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan has asked Pakistan to send experts from the power sector to Kabul to plan modalities for exporting electricity from Pakistan to Khost province, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) officials told Daily Times on Friday.

“We have received a fresh request from Kabul through our Foreign Office,” he added. In the latest communication, Kabul assured the safety of the Pakistani delegation.

He said Pakistan planned to send a team to Afghanistan on September 18, 2003, but Kabul failed to assure their security, which was why the experts could not go. The issue had died down since then because of Kabul’s deteriorating law and order and a few anti-Pakistan incidents, he said, adding that the situation had changed and Pakistan would send its delegation now.

He said WAPDA was forming a new team that would leave for Kabul soon, keeping in view Afghanistan’s fresh request and assurance of safety.

WAPDA would lay the transmission line from Miranshah/Parachinar to Khost and the Pakistani team would finalise the modalities for transmitting electricity from Miranshah to Khost with authorities in Kabul, he said, adding that WAPDA would also lay a 132 KV transmission line from the Landi Kotal grid to the adjacent area in Afghanistan where infrastructure to transmit electricity existed.

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