Interesting suggestion. I thought the terrain in the ‘Wakhan corridor’ was adverse to such a road, but obviously not. This would a short road, but it would be the first direct link between Pakistan and the ex-USSR…
Pakistan plans to establish a road link with Tajikistan to promote trade and commercial ties with the Central Asian republics, officials said on Thursday. The 35-kilometre-long road is to be built between the Ishkamun Valley in the northern Pakistan and the Wakhan corridor in Afghanistan, the Northern Area’s planning and development secretary Amanullah Khan Niazi said. Plans for the proposed project have been sent to Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali for approval and allocation of funds, Niazi told AFP.
He said a 50-kilometre-long stretch of road across Wakhan in Afghanistan had to be built by the Afghan authorities. Pakistan’s quest to link up with Tajikistan via Afghanistan needs agreement among the three countries, Niazi said. So far there had been no dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul on the project. The three countries are members of the 10-nation Economic Cooperation. Pakistan is currently hosting a ministerial meeting of the ECO aimed at promoting regional cooperation in trade, commerce, investment and communications.
Not a good idea, as with the alternative route to the winter closure of the Lawari tunnel, everyone used to get looted on their way to Chitral. Same is going to happen in this 35 KM stretch.
GILGIT, July 20: **The government of Pakistan is not pushing for a road link with Tajikistan as there are hurdles in the project. **
The Northern Areas secretary planning and development Amanullah Khan Niazi, refuting a news item appeared in Dawn on Friday captioned: “Pakistan pushes for road link with Tajikistan” by Agence France Press (AFP), said **“Pakistan government had never pushed for the road link with Tajikistan rather a concept paper was prepared some times ago which needed surveys, feasibility studies and cost estimation on the project.” **
He said they had never sought funds as there were hurdles in the project and without removing them it could not be possible to materialize the project.
^^ Building the road will help them through increase in commerce. Spending money on the road will help them to bring in more money, so long as they can ensure that traders are not harrassed by bandits.