Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan has approved the humanitarian assistance package for Afghanistan at the first apex committee meeting of the newly established Afghanistan Inter-Ministerial Coordination Cell (AICC).
The PM instructed all ministries to facilitate Afghans to the maximum. He ordered immediate shipment of in-kind humanitarian assistance worth Rs.5bn, which will comprise food commodities including 50,000 MT of wheat, emergency medical supplies, winter shelters and other supplies.
— Prime Minister's Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) November 22, 2021
The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister of Pakistan Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Advisor to the country’s Prime Minister on Finance Shaukat Tarin, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf, and senior civil and military officers of Pakistan.
A statement issued by the Khan’s office said: “PM Imran Khan ordered the immediate shipment of in-kind humanitarian assistance worth Rs5 billion, comprising food commodities […], emergency medical supplies, winter shelters and other supplies.”
He advised all the relevant ministries to make efforts for facilitating the Afghans to the maximum and approved in-principle tariff and sales tax reduction on key Afghan exports to Pakistan.
The statement said that Khan has directed to continue the provision of free-of-charge vaccination against COVID to the Afghans crossing land borders.
During the meeting, the decision to allow the transportation of 50,000 megatons of wheat via Pakistan, under the assistance offered by India on humanitarian grounds, as soon as the two countries finalise the modalities.
He announced to facilitate the return of Afghans who had travelled to India for medical treatment.
Earlier, at the outset of the meeting, AICC convener and NSA Moeed Yusuf welcomed Khan to the meeting and delivered a detailed presentation on the current economic situation in Afghanistan and the committee’s progress in coordinating national efforts for helping the neighbouring country in dealing with the crisis.
The meeting decided that the visa duration will be relaxed for Afghans “such that visas are granted within three weeks at the most”.
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