Favourably mulls Taliban's request for India's wheat via Pak: Imran Khan
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Pakistan is considering the Taliban's request to allow transporting wheat offered by India through the country. Prime Minister Imran Khan said that the government will "favourably consider" the request on an "exceptional basis" for humanitarian purposes. His office tweeted that the modalities are to be worked out.
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) country director in Afghanistan, Mary Ellen Mc Groarty, had said in October that the international body is in talks with India for wheat donation to Afghanistan. Taliban had met with Indian officials in October. New Delhi had expressed readiness to provide humanitarian assistance after the meeting.
Pakistan hasn't allowed Indian goods to pass through its territory and go to Afghanistan yet.
India's attempts to deliver relief materials to Afghanistan includes 50,000 tonnes of wheat. But the shipments have been held up by Pakistan's refusal to allow the use of its territory of transport.
Unless other nations provide assistance, millions of Afghans will starve this winter. Nearly 23 million people (55% of the population) will be in crisis or emergency levels of food security between now and March 2022, warned the UN.
The comment has reaffirmed Islamabad's support of Afghanistan. Mr Khan stressed the importance of a peaceful, stable, sovereign, prosperous, and connected Afghanistan while speaking to a delegation led by Afghanistan's acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, reported Dawn.
The statement from the Pakistani PM's office stressed that continued security and resolute counter-terrorism actions, respect for rights of all Afghans, and inclusivity in governance and politics would further contribute to Afghanistan's stability, reported ANI.
The security situation and the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating since the Taliban took over the country in August. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concern in the latest report about"conditional humanitarianism" or attempts to "leverage" humanitarian assistance for political purposes.
