ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: Pakistan will provide an assistance of Rs395 million for the construction of a kidney treatment centre in Jalalabad (Afghanistan). An agreement to this effect was signed between the Planning Commission and National Logistic Cell here on Saturday.

The assistance is being provided under the Afghan Rehabilitation and Reconstruction grant of Rs200 million by Pakistan.

The project will be completed in 18 months.

Speaking on the occasion, deputy chairman of Planning Commission Muhammad Akram Sheikh said Pakistan was keen for rapid rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan and for this purpose, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has increased grant for Afghan reconstruction.

Under this programme, he said, Pakistan will complete various projects in communication, food, education, health-care and training of police personnel of Afghanistan.

He said 100 buses had been provided to Afghanistan and a stone crushing plant in the country had also been installed. Work on the Torkhum-Jalalabad road was in progress and was expected to be completed by June next year.

Dr Shaikh expressed the confidence that trust and understanding achieved by both the countries would help speed up reconstruction work in Afghanistan and this cooperation would be further increased in time to come. He said the health sector project was a manifestation of cooperation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan attached high importance to reconstruction and rehabilitation activities in Afghanistan. President General Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Afghan President Hamid Karzai have excellent communication and both the countries enjoy very good brotherly relations.

This was the second contract awarded to NLC, the first being the Allama Iqbal Art Faculty at Kabul University given to it in October 2005.