DUSHANBE, February 4, 2014, Asia-Plus – Longtime head of Tajik Railways (Tajik sate rail company) Amonullo Hukumatullo, who occupied that position for more than 12 years, has been replaced.

His position has been filled by Asad Zoyirov, formerly head of Rohsoz, an affiliate of Tajik Railways.

“Amonullo Hukumatullo has been dismissed due to health issues,” Vladimir Sobkalov, the first deputy head of Tajik Railways, told Asia-Plus Tuesday afternoon.

We will recall that Turkmenistan’s Foreign Ministry expressed serious concern about statement made by Amonullo Hukumatullo on January 29.

Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that in report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Amonullo Hukumatullo revealed on January 29 that Dushanbe and Kabul have allegedly reached an agreement on a route for the Afghan section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway, which has been offered by the Tajik side.

“In accordance with international norms, multilateral projects are coordinated by all participating parties on the basis of mutual respect and equality.  The statement of Tajik official about coordination of the section of the railway reaching the Turkmen-Afghan border without participation of Turkmenistan is tendentious and absolutely unacceptable to the Turkmen side,” a statement released by Turkmen MFA said.

Besides, in recent years, there have been reports about poor sanitary conditions of Tajik trains, drug trafficking scandal and fatal traffic accident involving Hukumatullo’s sons.