Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday approved Humanitarian aid of 5 billion rupees to Afghanistan, besides allowing the transportation of Indian food aid to the war-torn country through Pakistan.
The decision was taken at the first meeting of the Apex Committee of the newly established Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell (AICC). PM Khan chaired the meeting which was attended by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Finance Adviser Shaukat Tarin, Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa, National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yusuf and senior civil and military officials.
The PM’s office said the prime minister “ordered an urgent shipment of humanitarian aid worth Rs 5 billion”.
According to the PMO, the aid will include food items including 50,000 tonnes of wheat, emergency medical supplies and winter shelters. A delegation of health officials from Afghanistan will visit Islamabad later this week to work on modalities for supporting Pakistan in the Afghan health sector.
Allows transportation of Indian food aid through Pakistan
The aid, approved by the Prime Minister, was first announced during FM Qureshi’s visit to Kabul for a meeting with Taliban leaders on 1 October.
human supply Being taken from Pakistan to Afghanistan on an almost daily basis since September.
United Nations Special Representative for Afghanistan Deborah Lyon on Thursday warning That the country was “on the verge of a humanitarian catastrophe”, with about 60 percent of the population expected to face extreme hunger.
The food emergency is expected to escalate in winter.
The meeting’s participants vowed not to leave Afghans in their time of need, expressing concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
Mr Khan urged the international community to fulfill its “collective responsibility” to help save Afghanistan from an impending humanitarian crisis.
He announced the government’s decision to allow the 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat India had offered to go through Pakistan after finalizing the modalities as humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
He further said, “Pakistan will also help in the return of Afghan patients who had gone to India for treatment and are stranded there.”
Instructing the ministries to provide maximum facilities to the Afghans, the Prime Minister said that it was agreed in principle to reduce tariffs and sales tax on major Afghan exports to Pakistan.
This will help support the economy of Afghanistan. Since the Taliban takeover in August this year, imports from Afghanistan to Pakistan have exceeded exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
Mr Khan directed that the borders for business should not be allowed to be closed arbitrarily.
He further ordered the resumption of bus service between Peshawar and Jalalabad to facilitate cross-border travel. Measures to facilitate visas for Afghanistan were also approved.
The Prime Minister ordered that free COVID-19 vaccination facilities be continued for Afghans entering Pakistan from land borders. Pakistan has started free vaccination of Afghans from 13th November.
NSA Moeed Yusuf was asked to visit Afghanistan to explore specific areas where Afghans needed immediate capacity building support.
Mr. Yusuf, who is also the Convener of the AICC, briefed the civil and military leadership on the current economic situation in Afghanistan and the progress made by the AICC in coordinating national efforts for humanitarian aid and border facilitation for Afghans.
Published in Dawn, November 23, 2021
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