https://arab.news/p7j64
- Officials in Pakistan and Indian have been trying to determine the modalities of how to supply humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan
- Pakistan has now allowed Afghan trucks to collect Indian relief items from its border with India 'on an exceptional basis'
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan announced on Friday it had allowed Afghan trucks to use its territory to transport Indian wheat and life-saving drugs to the people of Afghanistan amid an economic meltdown and impending food crisis in the neighboring country.
Islamabad told New Delhi last month it was willing to allow the movement of Indian goods through its territory on humanitarian grounds.
Indian officials on Thursday informed the media, however, they were still trying to negotiate the modalities of how to supply essential items to Afghanistan with the Pakistani authorities who wanted to reload the relief material on their own trucks from Wagah border.
An Indian external affairs ministry spokesperson said humanitarian aid should not be subject to such conditionalities.
"With a view to further facilitate Pakistan's decision to allow transportation of 50,000 [metric tons] of wheat and lifesaving medicines from India to Afghanistan via Wagah border on an exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes, it has been decided to ... allow the use of Afghan trucks for transportation from Wagah border to Torkham," the foreign office said in a statement. "This demonstrates the commitment and seriousness of the Government of Pakistan to facilitate the proposed humanitarian assistance."
Pakistan's special envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq also announced his country's decision in a Twitter post.
Pakistan, which has denied India commercial transport links to Afghanistan for a long time to block its access to the Central Asian region, said its decision to allow New Delhi's humanitarian supplies for Afghanistan was taken under exceptional circumstances.
The foreign office added the decision was also conveyed to the Indian Charge d' Affaires in Islamabad.
"The Indian government was also urged to proceed quickly to take necessary steps to expeditiously undertake the delivery of the humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan," said the official statement.
According to Indian newspapers, New Delhi wants the aid to be distributed through the United Nations since India does not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan.