LAHORE: A convoy of 40 trucks returned to Afghanistan after collecting a consignment of 2,200 tonnes wheat from India via the Wagah border.

India had earlier announced to give 50,000 tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan on humanitarian grounds.

Pakistan had agreed to facilitate both Afghanistan and India for safe and duty-free transportation of the commodity.

“This is the third wheat consignment on humanitarian grounds from India which has been received by the government of Afghanistan,” a senior official dealing with the ongoing wheat collection operations told Dawn on Saturday.

In this regard, the first fleet of 41 Afghan trucks had collected a consignment of 2,500 tonnes of wheat from India on February 22. A second fleet of 36 trucks received 2,000 tonnes of wheat from India and safely reached Afghanistan on March 5. Likewise, the third fleet of 40 trucks reached Wagah on March 10 night, collected around 2,200 tonnes of wheat from Indian authorities and returned to Afghanistan on March 11.

The official source said collection of the remaining wheat stock from India might not be completed within a period of one month ending on March 21 as only 6,700 tonnes has been collected so far.

“It may take more than two months for Afghanistan to collect the remaining 43,300 tonnes of wheat from India if the operation continues at the same pace,” he said.

The Indian government had agreed with an Afgha­nistan-based logistics company to send empty trucks via Torkham and Wagah.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2022