QUETTA, Feb 22: The federal government is negotiating with the Islamic Development Bank and other international institutions for financing the Quetta-Zhob-Peshawar railway line project.

Balochistan Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani had said that the Pakistan Railways had undertaken a survey for the project.

He said that the rail link would provide an alternate route between Quetta and Peshawar.

He said that the Islamic bank and other international financial institutions had demonstrated interest in financing the project and negotiations were in progress.

He said that Islamabad had launched many mega-development projects in Balochistan which would be completed soon. Pace of work on the projects had been accelerated.

Mr Ghani said that the federal government, besides implementing projects related to communication, power supply and education, was also constructing small and big dams in different areas of Balochistan.

“We are expanding the Subakzai dam so that most areas of Zhob can be irrigated,” he said, adding that the completion of the dam would boost agriculture in the area and a large number of people would get jobs.

He said that the government was establishing trade routes through Qamaruddin Karez, Badeni and Murgha Kibzai areas to enhance trade with the Central Asian States. These routes would be opened in a few months.

The governor said that the federal government was also increasing agricultural loans and land-ownersn and gro-wers of Zhob would benefit from it.