Daily Times

Pakistan Friday decided to also allow the use of Afghan trucks for transportation of 50,000MT wheat and life-saving medicines from India to Afghanistan through the Wagah border to Torkham.

The decision was taken on exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes, said the Foreign Office in a statement. “This demonstrates the commitment and seriousness of the Government of Pakistan to facilitate the proposed humanitarian assistance,” it added.

According to the statement, the decision was conveyed to the chargé d’affaires of India on Friday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“The Indian government was also urged to proceed quickly to take necessary steps to expeditiously undertake the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan,” the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, commenting on the subject, sources said despite Pakistan’s decision to allow the transportation of wheat and medicines, India seemed to be deliberately spreading “misinformation” about Pakistani modalities for shipment of humanitarian assistance through the Wagah border.

As per the modalities, Pakistan proposed that trucks under the banner of the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) should transport wheat and other essentials from India to Afghanistan. However, India made a counter proposal and suggested that the wheat should be shipped either in Indian or Pakistani trucks. “This option is not feasible,” the sources said and explained that India was given permission to use Pakistan’s land route on exceptional basis.