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Pakistan begins dispatching 50,000 metric tons of wheat to Afghanistan
Islamabad has begun dispatching 50,000 metric tons of wheat to Afghanistan as humanitarian assistance, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kabul Mansoor Ahmad Khan said in a tweet.
Khan said that Shehzad Arbab, Special Assistant to PM Imran Khan, had handed over the first consignment, which consisted 1,800 metric tons of wheat, to Afghan officials at the Torkham border crossing between the two countries on Thursday.
Pakistan today started supply of 50,000 MT wheat donation to Afghanistan. Special Assistant to Prime Minister handed over the first consignment of 1800 MT wheat to Afghan Minister for National Disaster Management at Torkham @PakinAfg pic.twitter.com/ohpVky0LLb
— Mansoor Ahmad Khan (@ambmansoorkhan) December 30, 2021
Speaking to the reporters, Shehzad Arbab stated that Pakistan will continue “sending two consignments [to Afghanistan] per week in consultation them [Afghan officials], where ever they want we will deliver the consignments that include wheat and life-saving medicines.”
Pakistan embassy in Kabul, meanwhile, said in a statement stated that the consignment was part of a relief assistance package – 50,000 metric tons of wheat – worth “Rs5 billion” for Afghanistan which was announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
According to the statement, the total amount of wheat will be dispatched to many provinces of Afghanistan, including Kabul, Nangarhar, Panjshir, Balkh, Badakhshan, Bamyan, Daikundi, Kandahar, Helmand, Farah, Herat, Khost, and Paktika provinces in the next few weeks.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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