New Delhi: India on Thursday said it was working out the modalities with Pakistan for sending 50,000 MT of wheat and live-saving drugs as humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, to a query at the weekly media briefing, said that discussions are ongoing with Pakistan on the transit access for the wheat, and reiterated India’s position that humanitarian assistance should not be subject to conditionalities.
“We had received a response from Pakistan, on November 24. We had given our proposal in early October, on October 7, for humanitarian assistance access into Afghanistan. We had been looking to supply 50,000 MT of wheat and life-saving drugs to Afghan people.
“Since then, we’ve had discussions with Pakistan on the modalities of this supply. These discussions are ongoing.
“Let me reiterate our belief, that humanitarian assistance should not be subject to conditionalities,” he said, adding that they would share updates on the subject. “The modalities are being worked out,” he added.
In his last briefing on Friday, the MEA spokesperson had said that humanitarian assistance should not be subject to conditionalities, and that they are examining Pakistan’s response to their proposal for allowing transit to trucks carrying 50,000 MT of wheat and life-saving medicines from India for Afghanistan.
Earlier, Islamabad agreed to allow transit to Indian trucks carrying the wheat only after top officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan personally interceded with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to allow access through his country for the humanitarian assistance. Imran Khan said he would allow the Indian wheat to pass through “on exceptional basis”.
