Daily Times

With humanitarian crisis exacerbated in Afghanistan due to advent of winter, Pakistan besides announcing in-kind assistance of Rs. 5 billion and offering to host extraordinary session of OIC Council of Foreign Ministers convened by Saudi Arabia, was taking all measures to cater to healthcare needs of Afghans.

In addition to medical visa facilitation for patients at crossing points and the provision of emergency/life-saving medicines to Afghanistan, Pakistan has announced the provision of medicines to the tune of Rs. 500 million at the earliest.

According to officials having the knowledge of latest developments on Afghan humanitarian assistance, private pharmaceutical industry donors have also announced additional assistance of medicines worth Rs. 40 million for Afghanistan. A Pakistani medical team will be visiting Afghanistan for the provision of medical equipment, its installation and maintenance for the three Pakistan-funded hospitals at Jalalabad, Logar and Kabul.

Besides, joint polio eradication coordination under the Polio Immunization Program assistance, Pakistan has also agreed to give training for capacity enhancement and institutional building of Afghan healthcare system, the officials said. A delegation from pharmaceutical industry will also visit Afghanistan for investment and to assist indigenous medicine production in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan recently ordered immediate shipment of in-kind humanitarian assistance worth Rs. 5 billion for Afghanistan including 50,000 MT of wheat, emergency medical supplies, winter shelters and other supplies.

He instructed all the ministries to facilitate Afghans to the maximum and also gave an in-principle approval for tariff and sales tax reduction on key Afghan exports to Pakistan.