ISLAMABAD, Sept 7: Pakistan has agreed to undertake 20 projects in Afghanistan at a cost of $476.82 million especially to help improve airports, civil aviation, roads and highways, housing and urban renewal schemes, officials say.

They said here on Tuesday that the Afghan ministry of water and power had finalized a list of 58 projects to be undertaken in Afghanistan. The government wanted the National Engineering Services Pakistan to prepare feasibility studies for various development projects in Afghanistan but Nespak had picked up 20 out of 58 projects saying it possessed expertise for limited projects.

The government of Pakistan had also separately identified certain projects in Afghanistan, including water and power, health, education and agriculture. The cost of these project was calculated at $45 million for which Nespak could also provide consultancy services.

Sources said that President Karzai told Pakistani authorities that the major requirement of his country was the preparation of bank able documents for facilitating flow of funds from donor agencies as well as consultancy services for design and construction supervision at reasonable rates.

Pakistan has proposed to offer the needed support and directed Nespak to meet both these requirements. However, sources said, President Karzai was told that Islamabad wanted the return of all Afghan refugees to their country.