Business
India, Pakistan, Turkey and Malaysia facilitate major aid consignments to Afghanistan
The Afghan government has sent a convoy of 40 trucks overland to the Pakistan-India border to collect a shipment of wheat for Afghanistan from the Indian government, which is being sent in a bid to counter the crisis the country is facing.
The trucks will be loaded with the aid at the Wagah-Attari border crossing between Pakistan and India before returning overland through Pakistan to Afghanistan.
Punjab Province Home Department officials said the Interior Ministry, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have issued instructions to the provincial governments of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to provide foolproof security to shipments to avoid any mishap.
According to sources in the Punjab Home Department, the shipment of wheat from India will be handed over to Afghan officials on Tuesday at the border crossing.
At the same time, a total of 750 tons of emergency relief goods sent by charity train from Turkey to Afghanistan has been delivered to authorities in Kabul.
Co-ordinated by Turkey’s state-run Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) and with the support of Turkish NGOs, medical aid packages were delivered to the Afghanistan Public Health Ministry on Monday.
The aid packages include food, winter clothing, medical supplies, wheelchairs, toys, and health supplies.
A Turkish diplomat at their embassy in Kabul, Emre Manav, stated that the aid will be delivered to 34 provinces across Afghanistan as soon as possible, Turkey’s media reported.
Attending the handover ceremony along with Manav were the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) Deputy Health Minister Habibullah Ahunzade and representatives of some Turkish institutions in Kabul.
In a speech, Manav said that as the Afghan people stood by Turkish people in the past, they stand with the Afghan people who need help now.
The train left Ankara on January 27 and entered Afghanistan on February 7.
Meanwhile a special flight carrying five tonnes of humanitarian relief from Malaysia left for Kabul on Tuesday.
Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah was present to send off the humanitarian relief flight which left Malaysia with 12 volunteers on board.
“The flight will stopover at Hyderabad, India and Islamabad, Pakistan before continuing its journey to Kabul,” said Malaysia’s foreign ministry.
Pakistan’s kinno exports remain far below potential as regional tensions, high freight costs and weak government support continue to choke the citrus trade.
Despite being a leading global citrus producer, Pakistan is expected to export just 400,000–450,000 tonnes of kinno in the 2025–26 season, compared with an estimated capacity of 700,000–800,000 tonnes.
Exports in 2024–25 stood at around 350,000–400,000 tonnes, mainly to Russia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Indonesia and Central Asia. While better fruit quality this season has raised hopes, persistent crossing disruptions—especially with Afghanistan—and transport bottlenecks have offset gains.
Growers say prices have collapsed sharply, forcing panic sales. Rates for large kinno have fallen from over Rs120 per kg early in the season to as low as Rs75, while smaller fruit is selling for Rs35–40 per kg amid weak demand.
Industry leaders warn the crisis is crippling processing units and jobs. More than 100 factories reportedly failed to open this season, with dozens more shutting down as exports stall. Cold storages in Sargodha are nearly full, putting fruit worth millions of dollars at risk of spoilage, while growers fear losses of up to Rs10 billion.
Exporters are urging the government to urgently resolve issues, subsidise logistics, and help access alternative markets, warning that prolonged inaction could devastate farmers, workers and the wider economy.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that Tehran will facilitate trade and economic exchanges with Afghanistan, including easing procedures at customs and local marketplaces.
He made the remarks during a televised interview following his visit to South Khorasan province, which shares a border with Afghanistan.
Pezeshkian, in a separate event addressing local business leaders, highlighted the province’s strategic advantages, citing its rich mineral resources, proximity to neighboring countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, and access to the ocean via the Chabahar port. He described the region as “a golden opportunity not found everywhere,” emphasizing its potential for economic growth and cross-border commerce.
A Kazakh delegation led by the Deputy Minister of Finance of Kazakhstan met with Sediqullah Khalid, First Deputy Governor of Da Afghanistan Bank, to discuss ways of strengthening banking and economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement issued by Da Afghanistan Bank, Khalid said the central bank is keen to establish regular and effective banking relations with Kazakhstan as part of broader efforts to expand bilateral trade.
He noted that enhanced banking cooperation would help facilitate trade, investment, and wider economic interaction between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan, while also contributing to financial stability at the regional level.
Members of the Kazakh delegation also emphasized the importance of developing banking and economic ties and expressed their readiness to expand joint cooperation.
The two sides further agreed to establish technical committees from both countries to hold expert-level discussions and advance practical steps for cooperation.
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