New Delhi: After two months of continuous engagement with Pakistan in finalizing the modalities for transporting wheat to Afghanistan, both nations have finally agreed to transport 50,000 metric tons of Indian wheat to Afghanistan through the land route that passes through the Attari-Wagah border. And thousands of trucks are expected to roll out in early February.
Despite hostility in ties with Islamabad, New Delhi’s move to deliver wheat to Afghanistan reeling under unprecedented hunger after the conflict can be seen as one of the most significant initiatives in its outreach to the Taliban ever since it took control over a strategically important country last year.
Pakistan has rarely ever allowed transit facilities for Indian aid to Afghanistan in the past several decades and it is pertinent to note that in 2002 it has rejected the same proposal by India when Afghanistan was facing the same crisis.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, ex-Ambassador Jitendra Tripathi said, “Sending humanitarian aid to Afghanistan is a good gesture by India and if Pakistan has agreed, then it is better but what are the terms and conditions of this agreement that is needed to be smoothened out. If Pakistan has agreed to allow Indian trucks to cross the Attari-Wagah border to Afghanistan, it is the best scenario for us but if Pakistan still maintains that Pakistani trucks will be used and we agree to that, even then it will be better. New Delhi won’t get any leverage whatsoever it wanted to have from it. After all, Pakistan wants all the credit”.
He said that as far as reaching out to the Taliban is concerned; India has been sending aid to Afghanistan to deal with the humanitarian crisis.
He said that India is helping in improving the healthcare of the country while adding that recognition of the Taliban regime and helping people are two different aspects. “We are helping the people and whether to recognize the Taliban government depends on the government of the day. Recognition is always a diplomatic thing which is announced in very uncertain words”.
Speaking on further improvement of ties between India and Pakistan, Tripathi pointed out that contrary to public statements and reports that Imran Khan has said at the launch of the National Security Policy that the country cannot continue to fight with India for 100 years and that it will have to make peace with New Delhi, despite all that, he never mentioned a single provision of the country’s National Security Policy. Rather his statement was more categorically aggressive and biased towards India. Therefore, I don’t think in the foreseeable future any improvement in the relations will happen.
According to sources, as per the agreement reached between both sides, Afghan trucks operating under the UN’s World food program will transport wheat from the India-Pakistan border to Afghanistan. The consignment will be then handed over to the UN agencies for distribution in drought-stricken Kabul. However, several issues like logistics still need to be sorted out.
The agreement for the commencement of the supply of wheat to Afghanistan came against the backdrop of Pakistan stating earlier this month that it was still awaiting a response from New Delhi on the date of delivery of the first consignment.
“We have conveyed to India necessary details of arrangements put in place by Pakistan, and for about three weeks now, are awaiting further response from India on the date of dispatch and other information regarding the first consignment,” Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad had said.
India and Pakistan are engaged in a strained relationship and the ties are not getting any better. In fact, in recent years, the relationship has turned sour after the cross-border strikes in 2019.
The Taliban gaining control over Afghanistan is seen as a major victory for Pakistan, which has for several years used Afghan soil for spreading terror and a threat for India as far as its national security interests are concerned.
But despite all the geopolitical hindrances, India has been steadfast in providing all possible help to the war-ravaged country. New Delhi has recently sent its third batch of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan including life-saving medicines.
Last month, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that modalities are being worked out with Pakistan and it is in touch with the authorities. He reiterated that humanitarian assistance should not be subject to conditionality.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India has sent out a proposal to Pakistan on October 7th, 2020 seeking transit facilities to send 50,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan and New Delhi received the response on November 20, 2020.
It is worth mentioning that India has also offered wheat to the Taliban during a meeting on the sidelines of the Moscow format on Afghan issues on October 20, 2020.
