Indian wheat shipment for Kabul may start next month

The shipment of Indian wheat for Afghanistan to be transported through Pakistan is expected to start in early February after both sides finally agreed on the modalities following months of discussions.

It will be rare when India transports goods using Pakistan's land route to Afghanistan as Islamabad would otherwise never permit two-way trade between New Delhi and Kabul.

But an exception has been made due to the precarious humanitarian situation in Afghanistan with Pakistan allowing one time permission to India to transport 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat through the Wagah border.

It took both the sides several weeks of discussions to agree on the modalities. Initially, Pakistan wanted the transportation of humanitarian assistance goods to Kabul in its trucks under the banner of the United Nations. But India made a counter proposal and wanted the food grain to be shipped to Afghanistan either in Indian or Afghan trucks.

The two sides then agreed that wheat would be carried by Afghan trucks and a list of Afghan contractors was shared with Pakistan.

READ Pakistan awaits Indian response on wheat shipment

Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar told a weekly news briefing on Friday that all arrangements were now put in place and Pakistan was waiting for the date of the first consignment.

Diplomatic sources told The Express Tribune that the shipment would start in early February. As per the modalities, India has to transport the total amount of wheat within 30 days of the first consignment.
The two countries have decided to cooperate on Afghanistan despite their otherwise tense relationship.

During the news briefing, the spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s allegations against India for violating the human rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

“The world is increasingly aware of the grave situation in IIOJK. Let India be warned that its reign of terror and illegal actions cannot continue unchecked,” Asim said.

He said the government and the people of Pakistan would continue to raise their voice and extend all possible support to their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in their just struggle.

The spokesperson confirmed that Prime Minister Imran Khan would undertake a visit to China in the first week of February to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

During the visit, the prime minister will have meetings with the Chinese leadership, the spokesperson added.

“The visit will reinforce the all-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership between our two countries, and further advance the objective of building a closer China-Pakistan community with a shared future in the new era,” he remarked.