LAHORE: Afghanistan has collected 10,700 tonnes of wheat from India so far, using Pakistan’s territory through Lahore’s Wagah border.

The remaining 39,300 tonnes are likely to be collected by Afghanistan under humanitarian assistance by the end of next month, according to official sources.

“Five convoys of Afghan trucks collected wheat consignments at Attari from Indian authorities and returned to Afghanistan via Wagah and Torkham borders. All these convoys collected five consignments of almost 10,700 tonnes of the total 50,000 tonnes as pledged to be given to Afghanistan by India on humanitarian grounds,” a senior official told Dawn on Sunday.

“The fifth convoy of 39 Afghan trucks returned to Afghanistan after collecting 2,000 tonnes wheat from Indian authorities on Friday,” the official said.

As India had pledged giving wheat to Afghanistan, Pakistan announced last month that it would facilitate entry of Afghan trucks into its territory via Torkham, ensuring trouble-free movement of trucks right from Torkham to Wagah, collection of wheat from India and smooth operations of wheat loaded trucks without customs duty. Therefore, the first fleet of 41 Afghan trucks collected the first consignment of 2,500 tonnes of wheat from India on Feb 22.

Similarly, the second fleet comprising 36 Afghan trucks received the second consignment of 2,000 tonnes of wheat on March 5. Likewise, another fleet of 40 trucks reached Wagah on March 10 night, collected around 2,200 tonnes wheat and returned to Afghanistan on March 11. The 4th and 5th convoys also collected 4,000 tonnes wheat till March 25th.Under the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) devised jointly by the respective Pakistani authorities (Customs, Immigration, Security etc), the information related to number of trucks, their registration numbers and tracking devices, drivers’ names, their identity cards, passports, police record / character certificates etc is mandatory to be shared by Afghanistan with Pakistan and India before entering their territories.

While being allowed at Torkham, the truck drivers are issued travel authorisation certificate by the authorities who, through email, send the same to authorities at the Wagah border. After carrying wheat, the drivers are liable to submit / return the same to authorities at Torkham.

Similarly, the Afghan convoys are being given police security from Torkham to Wagah and vice versa. “Likewise, the checking of trucks, drivers and other issues are also being performed by the authorities at Torkham as well as Wagah under the SOPs,” said another official source while discussing the SOPs devised by the government regarding operation of Afghan trucks for the collection of Indian wheat.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2022