ISLAMABAD: First consignment of 1,800 metric tonnes of wheat as humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan from Pakistan crossed the Torkham border on Thursday.
In a statement, Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the consignment is part of the humanitarian package of Rs5 billion for in-kind assistance for Afghanistan announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He said the package includes 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat, winter shelters and emergency medical supplies. The spokesperson said the first consignment was handed over by Special Assistant to Prime Minister Shehzad Arbab to the Afghan side.
He said that Pakistan believes that the current humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan requires immediate attention of the international community. He said that it is critical that the world community upscale its efforts to reach out to the Afghan people on an urgent basis to help address the humanitarian crisis and stabilise the economic situation.
Asim said that Pakistan will continue its efforts in support of the fraternal Afghan people as part of its commitment to a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Shehzad said that Pakistan is eager for prosperity and development in Afghanistan.
Talking to the media at Pak-Afghan crossing point Torkham, he said that Afghanistan is facing immense difficulty to meet its basic needs including clothing, food and shelter. The special assistant urged the international community to come forward and help Afghanistan in this critical time as the life of Afghan people is at risk.
Earlier, Shehzad handed over the first consignment of 1,800 metric tonnes of wheat as humanitarian assistance by Pakistan for the people of Afghanistan to the Afghan officials.
