Afghanistan Saturday welcomed a decision by Pakistan to allow the use of Afghan trucks for transporting Indian wheat to the crisis-hit country after crossing into Pakistan via Wagah border in Punjab and travelling to Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders the Afghan province of Nangarhar.
Pakistan on Friday announced its decision to allow Indian wheat to travel through Pakistan into Afghanistan despite Pakistani ban on trade with India.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan informed Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi of the decision during a meeting with him on Saturday.
Later, Afghan foreign ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi tweeted that on enhancing “trade and facilitating [the transport] of Indian-assisted wheat to … Afghanistan”. He said Muttaqi had thanked Pakistan for allowing the use of Afghan-owned vehicles for transporting the wheat.
Earlier in October this year, an Indian delegation had met leaders from the Taliban government in Afghanistan on the sidelines of Moscow-format consultations in Russia and asked them to request Islamabad to allow the passage of Indian wheat to Afghanistan through the land route in Pakistan.
Muttaqqi had then raised the issue during his visit to Islamabad in November and Prime Minister Imran Khan had assured him that Islamabad would favourably consider the request.
According to a statement by the Foreign Office here in Islamabad, the decision was conveyed to the Indian charge d’ affairs on Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Indian government was also urged to proceed quickly towards taking necessary steps for expeditiously undertaking the delivery of the humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, according to the statement.
“This demonstrates the commitment and seriousness of the Government of Pakistan to facilitate the proposed humanitarian assistance,” the statement further said.
