newsmantra.in l Latest news on Politics, World, Bollywood, Sports, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Trending news | News Mantra
Govt. Mantra

Pakistan to allow India to send wheat to Afghanistan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced  that his government will allow India to send a humanitarian shipment of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to neighbouring Afghanistan through its territory after finalisation of the transit modalities.

Khan, who chaired the first Apex Committee meeting of the newly established Afghanistan Inter-ministerial Coordination Cell (AICC) in Islamabad, also took the opportunity to remind the international community of the collective responsibility to support Afghanistan to avoid a humanitarian crisis.

During the meeting, Khan announced Pakistan’s decision to allow the 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat India has offered to provide Afghanistan as humanitarian assistance to go through Pakistan as soon as modalities are finalised with the Indian side, state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

Currently, Pakistan only allows Afghanistan to export goods to India but doesn’t allow any other two-way trade through the border crossing.

Last month, India announced 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat for Afghanistan as humanitarian assistance and requested Pakistan to ship the food grain via the Wagah border.

Afghanistan’s Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had also requested Prime Minister Khan to allow India to transport wheat via Pakistan, suggesting that the Taliban government was willing to accept the humanitarian assistance from India.

The Prime Minister] announced Pakistan’s decision to allow the 50,000 MT of wheat India has offered to provide Afghanistan as humanitarian assistance to go through Pakistan as soon as modalities are finalised with the Indian side,” the Pakistan PM’s office said, adding that Pakistan has also decided to facilitate “the return of Afghan patients who had gone to India for medical treatment and are stuck there”.

MEA yet to respond to announcement

The Ministry of External Affairs did not respond to the announcement from Pakistan. On November 11, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said India was looking at all possibilities to transfer the aid “but there have been difficulties due to lack of unimpeded access”.

Asked why India had not sent the aid through the Chabahar port in Iran to the Afghan border, the route it had employed in the last few years, officials declined to comment, but suggested that the route would prove too circuitous given the immediate need in Afghanistan.

The offer of wheat and other medical supplies was made formally to the Taliban regime by a Ministry of External Affairs delegation that attended the Moscow format conference in Russia and met Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi on October 20.

Related posts

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting US President Donald Trump

Newsmantra

Amitabh Kant steps down as India’s Sherpa

Newsmantra

87th Meeting of Network Planning Group under PM GatiShakti evaluates key Infrastructure projects

Newsmantra

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More