ISLAMABAD, April 18: The government plans to establish around 12 entry points on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border through a road network in a few years to boost trade activities with Afghanistan and Central Asian Republics (CARs), sources say. A senior official of the ministry of communications told this correspondent main objective of the initiative, backed by the Asian Development Bank, was to provide access to the CARs and Afghanistan to Gwadar port.

According to the official, the forthcoming budget was expected to include allocations for establishing at least four entry points on the Afghan border.

The number of the entry points would be gradually increased to 12 in two to three years, keeping in view the security situation in Afghanistan.

These entry points will not only benefit Pakistan but also Afghanistan because it will have access to another port for handling of its transit trade goods.

Afghanistan had already asked Pakistan to provide warehousing facilities at Gwadar port, the official said.

He said Pakistan and India would also be opening two more routes on Jammu-Sialkot and Madarpur-Poonch border in a few months, initially for a bus service like the one between Muzaffarabad and Srinagar.

He said the Azad Kashmir government had been asked by the federal government to be prepared for providing required facilities and to improve relevant road network on the two routes.

The routes could also become trade routes at a later stage, subject to progress in the ongoing peace process, he added.