Pakistan begins clearing UN aid consignment movement for Afghanistan
Islamabad, Hilal Ahmad, December 4, AZERTAC
Pakistan has begun clearing humanitarian cargo consignment movement for Afghanistan, marking the first controlled reopening of transit trade since routine trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan was suspended in October this year.
The move comes as thousands of cargo vehicles remained stranded at major border crossings between the two countries.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has made it clear that the border was still closed for trade and has been temporarily opened for UN humanitarian cargo. Pakistan closed its key border crossings with Afghanistan on October 12 in wake of increasing attacks in the country by the terrorist groups including the TTP based in Afghanistan.
According to Media Reports on Thursday, after nearly two months of halted cross border cargo movement, the Pakistani authorities have begun clearing humanitarian consignments for Afghanistan at the reported request of UN agencies.
Pakistan completely suspended customs clearance for both exports and imports, along with Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) cargos, at major border crossings including Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi, and Angoor Adda effective October 12, and at the Chaman border from October 15. An official letter was issued to the Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Directorate General of Transit Trade to initiate the movement of consignments belonging to three United Nations agencies through the border crossings at Chaman and Torkham.
In the first phase, a total of 143 containers of humanitarian goods will be allowed for clearance at Chaman and Torkham. The containers include 67 containers of food assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP), 74 containers of supplies for children from UNICEF, and two containers of healthcare and family support items from UNFPA. Officials confirmed that the decision followed instructions issued by the Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry after consultations with the UN resident coordinator in Pakistan.
The cargo movement will proceed in three stages: the first covers food shipments, the second covers medicine and medical equipment, and the third covers items for education services. More consignments are expected to follow once agencies provide updated requirements. Officials said the reopening applied only to humanitarian Afghan Transit Trade cargos and did not signal the restoration of routine trade. Senior officials added that the remaining UN cargo lists would be shared in stages once documentation was verified.
Last week, the Pakistani government had signaled reopening of the Afghan border for United Nations aid. Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar hinted that Islamabad is poised to reopen an important border crossing with Afghanistan to allow the United Nations to deliver humanitarian aid, weeks after deadly clashes that closed border movement between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Deputy Prime Minister while talking to journalists on November 29 in capital Islamabad said that the UN had formally requested permission to resume aid shipments into Afghanistan.
Pakistan closed its border crossings with Afghanistan in October this year as the terror attacks have rapidly increased in the country after Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in August 2021.
Other news in this section
