After allowing India to transfer 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan as humanitarian assistance, Pakistan has set some conditions for the same. According to a report by news agency PTI, Pakistan has insisted that the consignments of wheat and medicines to Afghanistan be transported on Pakistani trucks from the Wagah border point; however, India favours using its own transport. India is keen on ensuring that the aid reaches the intended beneficiaries without being diverted, and wants the distribution of the relief materials through a credible international agency, the report said. Ultimately, both countries could rely on the United Nations (UN) to get the shipment across.
Currently, Pakistan only allows Afghanistan to export goods to India, but doesn't allow any other two-way trade through the border crossing. There were reports that Pakistan has blocked India's efforts to provide wheat to the Afghan people, amidst the chill in relations between New Delhi and Islamabad over the Kashmir issue.
UN officials have warned of a humanitarian crisis with millions of Afghans plunging deeper into poverty and facing hunger with increasing numbers on the verge of starvation. Afghanistan has been hit by one of its worst famines in decades, and the economic collapse has meant many people are unable to afford food.
