Pakistan has permitted India to use Afghan trucks to transport humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, ending one of the key deadlocks in modalities for the assistance. After an appeal from the Taliban, desperate to feed its hungry people, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had a few weeks back permitted India to use its territory to send assistance to Afghanistan. 

“It has been decided to allow the use of Afghan trucks for transportation from Wagah border to Torkham,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman Asim Iftikhar was quoted by Dawn. The decision, he said, was conveyed to the Charge d’Affaires of India at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Weeks ago, India had offered the Taliban to send humanitarian assistance in form of 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat and essential medicines to Afghanistan that has been going through a severe humanitarian crisis.

For a long time, Pakistan hadn’t responded to India’s request of using Pakistan’s territory to send the shipment. However, Prime Minister Imran Khan allowed after the Taliban’s Foreign Minister Ameer Khan Muttaqi requested him during his visit to the country.

Things got stuck again when the two countries started discussions over the modalities of the shipment. Pakistan insisted on using Pakistanis trucks under the United Nations banner for transporting the assistance. India, however, insisted on using Indian trucks or Afghan trucks for the purpose, according to media reports. 

The breakthrough came on Friday after European Union’s envoy to Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson urged both Islamabad and Delhi to resolve issues concerning the transfer of Indian humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. Following this, Islamabad relented. 

The UNDP recently warned that Afghanistan could face the worst humanitarian crisis of its history with nearly 23 million people facing severe hunger and millions likely to sink into poverty. Other aid groups also warned that over a million are at risk of death.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of the country, there has been a severe shortage of food, fuel, drugs, and other items. The European Union, which is concerned that the crisis could spell another big migration crisis, is planning to re-open its mission in Kabul with minimal staff presence. 

(SAM)