Pakistan, India agree to mechanism for transporting wheat to Afghanistan

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ISLAMABAD, : Pakistan and India have agreed to a mechanism

for transportation of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat from New Delhi to

Afghanistan via Wagha Border.

According to sources privy to the details of the arrangement in the

Foreign Office, Pakistan has allowed Afghan trucks and drivers to carry

wheat from India to Afghanistan.

“India has handed over a list of 60 Afghan trucks and their drivers who

will carry the consignment and had asked Pakistan to issue visas to

them,” they said and added that India would start supplying wheat from

February 16.

The first consignment of the Indian wheat will be transported to

Afghanistan by February end.

In November 2021, Prime Minister Imran Khan announced an Rs5 billion

humanitarian aid for Afghanistan besides allowing transit of Indian

wheat to the neighbouring country.

The decisions were taken during the apex committee meeting on

Afghanistan headed by the prime minister and attended by Chief of Army

Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa and federal ministers.

Imran Khan directed National Security Adviser Mooed Yusuf to visit

Afghanistan and hold talks with the officials there for devising a

mechanism for the supply of humanitarian aid.

A day later the federal cabinet also approved transit to shipment of

50,000 metric tons of wheat provided by India to Afghanistan to avert

any humanitarian crisis.