Pakistan to Allow “Afghan Trucks” to Transport India’s Humanitarian Aids to Afghanistan
NEW DELHI, Dec 3: Pakistan has agreed to allow “Afghan trucks” to transport through the country wheat and life saving medicines from India to Afghanistan. Pakistan foreign ministry conveyed to the Indian diplomats in Islamabad on Friday that it would allow “afghan rucks” to transport Indian goods to the troubled country.
Decision was taken by Pakistan two months after India requested Pakistan to allow transportation of food grains to Afghanistan via land route. A statement by Pakistan’s foreign ministry said, “With a view to further facilitate Pakistan’s decision to allow transportation of 50,000 MT (metric tonnes) of wheat and life-saving medicines from India to Afghanistan via Wagah border on an exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes, it has been decided to also allow the use of Afghan trucks for transportation from Wagah border to Torkham.”
The Pakistan foreign ministry said this “demonstrates the commitment and seriousness of the government of Pakistan to facilitate the proposed humanitarian assistance.”
“The Indian government was also urged to proceed quickly to take necessary steps to expeditiously undertake the delivery of the humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan,” it said.
Meanwhile, there was no official response to Pakistan’s decision from New Delhi, but the MEA spokesperson had on several occasions said there cannot be conditionalities attached to humanitarian assistance. Officials said the task of moving 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan would require 5,000 trucks via Pakistan.
(Manas Dasgupta)
