October 20, 2001	Saturday	Shaba'an 2, 1422

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KARACHI, Oct 19: The Taliban government has allowed Edhi Foundation to operate its ambulance service in Afghanistan to provide medical aid and help in shifting the injured to hospitals in Pakistan.

An Edhi Foundation delegation, comprising Abdul Sattar Edhi, his wife Builquees Edhi and Rizwan Edhi met Maulvi Ubaidullah Akhundzada, an official of Taliban’s government, to discuss the opening of a hospital and an ambulance service centre in Kandahar.

Rizwan Edhi told Dawn by telephone from Chaman that they were allowed to go to Afghanistan via Chaman. During talks at Bolshi town, Edhi Foundation was given the green light to begin its operations immediately.

The Edhi ambulances went directly to Kandahar soon afterwards and shifted 15 injured including a one-and-a-half-year-old child from the outskirts of Kandahar to a hospital in Chaman, who suffered injuries in the bombing. The injured were later taken to the Civil Hospital Quetta, Mr Rizwan added.

He said Mr Edhi handed over 20 thousand kilograms of flour to Maulana Najeebullah, a Taliban representative, which would be distributed among the needy people in the landlocked country.

Rizwan said the ambulance service was also started along the Torkham border and several injured were shifted to Peshawar from Jalalabad and the adjoining areas. He said Abdul Sattar Edhi was scheduled to visit border areas of Peshawar and Parachinar on Saturday to review the relief operation being carried out by the Edhi Foundation.