Pakistan dispatches 300-tonne of edibles to Afghanistan

17 trucks loaded with sugar, pulses, flour, rice, cooking oil cross through Torkham

PESHAWAR:

The Pak-Afghan Cooperation Forum (PACF), on behalf of the Pakistan government, on Sunday dispatched 17 trucks loaded with 300 tonnes of edibles to Afghanistan as humanitarian aid, including 65 tonnes of sugar, three tonnes of pulses, 190 tonnes of flour, 11 tonnes of cooking oil and 31 tonnes of rice.

Briefing the media at the Torkham border, PACF Chairman Habibullah Khan Khattak said: “Afghans are our Muslim brothers and neighbours and we have centuries-old relations with them."

He stated that the 40-year-long war in Afghanistan ruined the economy, agriculture and administrative infrastructure of the country and the sudden withdrawal of international aid agencies put the entire population at risk.

Khattak maintained that last year’s drought also added to the miseries of Afghan people who were facing a humanitarian crisis. The situation can result in a humanitarian catastrophe if immediate and effective steps are not taken, he added.

He further said that PACF is a Trust established to assist the Afghan population in their hour of need. “We aim to not only provide immediate humanitarian assistance in the form of food, medicine and non-food items to the people of Afghanistan but also to help them stand on their feet and make their homeland a peaceful, stable and responsible member of the global community”, he added.

Khattak said that PACF activities are not limited to the coordination of humanitarian assistance, but also include procurement, storage, transportation, and distribution of rations, medicine or shelter for the needy people of Afghanistan as well as interact with prospective donors and beneficiaries at the organisational and individual levels and undertake any other such assignment that helps rebuild Afghanistan.

“With the help of various philanthropists and the Pakistani government, we have managed to lift 32 tonnes of flour, six tonnes of cooking oil, two tonnes of medicine through C-130,” he added.

This is the first step towards this noble cause, he said, voicing hope that in the coming days they will also provide support in education, health and livelihood. He stated that this package is a clear message to the people of Afghanistan that the people and the government of Pakistan will not forget them in difficult times.

It is also a message to the world that instead of adopting the policy of ‘wait and see’ they must come forward to help the Afghan people, he added.

Khattak appealed to all philanthropists within Pakistan and across the globe to come forward and help them through generous donations to avert this humanitarian crisis.

Later, the Consul General of Pakistan at Jalalabad Abidullah and Ministry of Industries and Private Sectors Regional Head Maulvi Mubariz received the loaded trucks and thanked the government of Pakistan and PACF for assisting the Afghan people at this critical juncture.