Pakistan removes banners of Indian aid from Afghan trucks

Indian humanitarian aid of around 2000 metric tons loaded in 41 Afghanistan trucks was given clearance by the Pakistan Customs department only after the banners were removed from the trucks.

Chandigarh: Continuing to display animosity against India, the Pakistan government removed banners bearing a message of India’s gift from all the Afghan trucks passing through its territory carrying humanitarian aid of wheat from India to the war-devastated Afghanistan. 

According to highly placed sources, as the Indian humanitarian aid of around 2000 metric tons loaded in 41 Afghanistan trucks crossed the International Border to Wagah (Pakistan) from Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari, India, the Pakistan authorities directed the trucks to be parked aside and were made to undergo extensive search.

India had put up banners on trucks reading “Gift from the people of India to the people of Afghanistan”, which probably irked the Pakistan government.

Sources informed that wheat loaded Afghan trucks were given clearance by the Pakistan Customs department only after the banners were removed from the trucks.

Earlier the  Pakistan government had declined the Indian proposal of sending aid material to the war-torn nation on Indian trucks and had been adamant about carrying out the transportation of Indian aid material on Pakistani trucks. The proposal was however declined by India apprehending delay in delivery of humanitarian aid and to ensure that it reached the targeted beneficiaries. 

However, following the UN International, Pakistan allowed the Afghan trucks to cross through its territory to reach Attari (India ) to load the wheat and return to Afghanistan. This was made possible after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the UN World Food Programme in Italy on February 11.

Notably on February 22 Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla and Afghanistan ambassador Farid Mamundzay had arrived at ICP Attari to flag off the Indian humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. A total of fifty thousand metric tons of wheat would be sent to Afghanistan within months. Earlier, India had sent Covid vaccines life-saving drugs to Afghanistan through World Health Organisation.

Intelligence sources here are of the view that the Pakistan government doesn't want to give any impression to common Pakistani people about Indian generosity towards the people of Afghanistan and had directed its staff at the Wagah border to allow Indian trucks carrying humanitarian trucks to move ahead only after removal of banners.