Wednesday March 14, 2018
Kabul (BNA) President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani chaired the meeting of the High Urban Development Council (HUDC), discussing issues including improvement of the Kabul River banks and Kabul Machin Khana, a statement from the presidential palace said Tuesday.
The president, at the beginning of the meeting, submitted the key of an apartment to Najibullah, former special force troop who lost his sight during a counter-insurgent operation in Farah province and praised him for his service to the people and country, the statement said. At the meeting, Najibullah Maiwand, one of the Agha Khan Foundation representatives presented his plan about the Kabul River banks and Kabul Machin Khana, including survey, planning, designing, modernization and reuse, improvement and access and the like, according to the statement. The country’s president said the area of Machin Khana belonged to the ministry of defense but, it has now evacuated and added that historical engineering about the area should be kept and the scope and type of activities in this area should be specified. He added the two sides should be turned into a revenue sources, the statement quoted. The president said the area should be provided with cultural activities, including conferences, libraries, cultural meetings and theater as well as sustainable market should be provided for the women products in this area. The president said: “By applying the plan, we can create business opportunities and the Agha Khan Foundation has high capacity for changing the area into the regular one.” Our opinion is to transfer all government administrations from the center of the capital to the Darul-Aman area and in this field, Sasaki Foundation is working with us as adviser about the Kabul future,” said the president. He said survey of the road from Dehmazang to the Darul-Aman area has been completed and there was a need for laying fundamental corner stone, hoping to change Kabul city into a capital with proper urbanization. The president asked for serious attention to the protection and revitalization of the Kabul city historical areas. The meeting said that 10 new projects presented by the Sasaki should be prioritized and related organs including ministry of urban development, Kabul Municipality and the Capital Zone Authority have been asked to provide a specific plan for the people information from the changes in the city.
