Time period for aid transit to Afghanistan extended

Pakistan grants two months to facilitate transportation on India’s request

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has granted India’s request for extension in the time period for transportation of 50,000 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat and life-saving medicines as humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan through the Attari-Wagah integrated check post.

According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday, the time period granted for transportation of the humanitarian assistance had expired on March 21, 2022.

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The government of Pakistan in November 2021 had approved, as a special gesture to the Afghan people, the transportation of 50,000 MT of wheat and life-saving medicines as humanitarian assistance from India to Afghanistan via the Wagah border on exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes.

Recently, the government of India requested for an extension in the time period to complete the transportation process.

“As a manifestation of our sincere efforts towards addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, it has been decided to grant two months’ extension to facilitate completion of the transportation,” the statement added. “All the modalities shall remain the same as earlier communicated to the Indian side.”

It said that the High Commission of India in Islamabad has been informed of the decision in this regard.