Pakistan extends transport period of humanitarian aid from India to Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani government has granted India's request to extend the time period for overland transportation of humanitarian assistance from India to Afghanistan which expired on March 21, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry said.

"As a manifestation of our sincere efforts towards addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, it has been decided to grant two months' extension to facilitate completion of the transportation," the ministry said in a statement Sunday night.

The Indian government had recently requested for extension in the period to complete the transportation process, it added.

Pakistan approved that in November last year "as a special gesture to the Afghan people," the transportation of 50,000 metric tons of wheat and lifesaving medicines as humanitarian assistance, the statement said.

The transportation, as per the arrangement, would be carried out from Attari-Wagah border with India to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border "on exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes," it added.

Relations between Pakistan and India deteriorated after India lifted the special status for the Indian-controlled Kashmir in August 2019. Pakistan downgraded its diplomatic relations and suspended trade relations and train service with India in response.