Indo-Pak agree on Munnabao-Kokhrapar rail link Friday, December 3 2004 14:30 Hrs (IST) - World Time
Islamabad:
India and Pakistan today (Dec 3, 2004) agreed to begin the train service between Munnabao in Rajasthan and Kokhrapar in Pakistan's Sindh province and lay down necessary infrastructure, but failed to reach an understanding on the time schedule to start the rail link.
"Both sides agreed to an early resumption of the rail links between Khokrapar-Munnabao," said a joint statement issued at the end of the two-day talks between the Railway officials of India and Pakistan to discuss the matter.
"It was also agreed by the two sides to take necessary steps in the interim to undertake specific activities including laying of railway tracks and other related infrastructure to operationalise the rail link," it said.
The statement, however, was silent about the time line to start the service.
India has proposed to begin the service by September or October 2005. But Pakistan officials said they needed two years to get the infrastructure ready on their side.
Indian External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh recently said India hopes to begin the train service by October 2.
Zaeem Choudhary, Secretary of Pakistan Railways who headed the country's delegation, told the media after the talks today that Pakistan has to change the 127-km rail track between Khokharapar and Mirphurkas, the nearest Pakistani town to Munnabao from narrow guage to broad guage to make it compatible with the Indian tracks. Also, a 10 km new track has to be laid between Mirphurkas and Munnabao, he said.
Pakistan also needed Rs 2 billion to get the infrastructure ready, he said adding, the Railways have already approached the Pakistan Government for financial allocation.
Preferring anonymity, Indian officials who attended the talks, said the two sides have not been able to reach an understanding to commence the train service next year.
Either the issue would be discussed at the higher level or at the next meeting between same officials at a mutually agreed date, they said.
The Indian delegation was headed by L R Thapar, Additional Member, Railway Board. The delegation, comprised of officials from customs and Rajasthan Government, left for site-seeing trip to Takshila after a brief round of talks with their Pakistan counterparts today.
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