F.P. Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has allowed a shipment of food aid from India to cross the land border into its territory on its way to Afghanistan, a rare gesture by Islamabad that suspended transit trade three years ago over Kashmir, on Wednesday.
According to a statement issued by the Foreign Office in Islamabad, the first batch of 41 Afghan trucks, which entered into Pakistan through Torkham is returning to Afghanistan today after taking the Indian wheat consignment from Attari-Wagah in Lahore.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said the Government of Pakistan has agreed on an exceptional basis to allow the overland transportation of humanitarian assistance of 50,000 MT wheat and lifesaving medicines from India for Afghanistan via Attari-Wagah border up till Torkham.
“Pakistan has been closely coordinating with all sides to facilitate smooth transit of the humanitarian assistance,” the Foreign Office spokesperson said.
India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and Farid Mamundzay, Afghanistan’s ambassador to India, saw off the first 50 trucks of a 50,000 metric tonnes shipment of wheat from the Indian border post of Attari on the country’s western border with Pakistan on Tuesday.
Islamabad had suspended trade with India in 2019 after New Delhi rescinded the partial autonomy of Indian-Occupied Kashmir.
