Pakistan allows transportation of wheat, life-saving drugs from India to Afghanistan
November 25, 2021
- Pakistan okays transportation of wheat and live-saving medicines from India to Afghanistan through Wagah border.
- Pakistani government gives goodwill permission in humanitarian gesture.
- Decision formally conveyed to Indian official at ministry of foreign affairs.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan allowed transportation of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and medicines from India to Afghanistan, citing it as a "goodwill and exceptional humanitarian gesture”.
The transportation of wheat and life-saving medicines was allowed from India via the Wagah Border.
“As a goodwill gesture towards the brotherly Afghan people, the government of Pakistan has decided to allow the transportation of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and life-saving medicines from India to Afghanistan via the Wagah Border on an exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes,” the Foreign Office said.
The FO said the decision of the government of Pakistan was formally conveyed to the Charge d’ Affaires of India at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
PM Imran Khan greenlights humanitarian assistance package for Afghanistan
Two days ago, Prime Minister Imran Khan approved a humanitarian assistance package for Afghanistan at the first apex committee meeting of the newly established Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell (AICC), the Prime Minister's office had confirmed.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf, and senior civil and military officers.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister's office said: "PM Imran Khan ordered the immediate shipment of in-kind humanitarian assistance worth Rs5 billion, comprising food commodities [...], emergency medical supplies, winter shelters and other supplies."
The premier advised all the relevant ministries to make efforts for facilitating the Afghans to the maximum and approved in-principle tariff and sales tax reduction on key Afghan exports to Pakistan.
The statement said that PM Imran Khan has directed to continue the provision of free-of-charge vaccination against COVID-19 to the Afghans crossing land borders.
During the meeting, the decision to allow the transportation of 50,000 megatons of wheat via Pakistan, under the assistance offered by India on humanitarian grounds, as soon as the two countries finalise the modalities.
The prime minister announced to facilitate the return of Afghans who had travelled to India for medical treatment.
