PESHAWAR, June 9: Bank Alfalah’s area manager Mirza Naeem Baig has said the bank will start Islamic banking in its Kabul branch by the end of this month.

Talking to APP here on Friday, he said a branch of the bank would also be opened in Herat next month.

He said Islamic banking was also gaining the interest of Western countries.

He said that so far the Alfalah Bank had made investment of one billion dollars in the country, adding that national investment consortium of Abu Dubai would lay a fibre optic line of 5,000 kilometres to link Karachi, Lahore and Afghanistan which would be a major investment in the telecommunication sector.

Mr Baig said the NWFP was gateway to Afghanistan, China and other Central Asian countries and its significance for traders would enhance with the passage of time.

He said the bank had the license to issue credit cards in Afghanistan which would boost commercial activities in the country.

The area manager said MSC Sites (Exchanges) had been installed at Warid Telecommunication in Peshawar to further improve its service.

He said Warid was the first company to have installed the facility in Pakistan. Twelve branches of the bank were working in the province and more than 90 per cent staff of the bank comprised local people, he added.—APP