ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announcedon Saturday that the United Nations has formally requested Pakistan toconsider resuming humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, particularlyessential food items for the Afghan population.
Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, Dar revealed that hehas already discussed the matter with Chief of Army Staff General Syed AsimMunir and is scheduled to brief Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shortly.
“I am hopeful that by tomorrow we will have some positive news on thisfront. This assistance, if approved, will be purely for the people ofAfghanistan,” the deputy prime minister stated.
Diplomatic sources claimed that recent back-channel engagements betweenIslamabad and the Afghan Taliban interim government appear to have easedtensions that escalated after multiple cross-border incidents earlier thisyear.
The UN request comes at a time when Afghanistan faces acute foodinsecurity, with millions at risk of famine according to successive reportsby the World Food Programme.
Pakistan had suspended most humanitarian convoys following securityconcerns, but officials now indicate that a limited, monitored resumptionfocused solely on food aid could serve as a confidence-building measure.
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No official timeline has been confirmed, but government circles suggest adecision may be announced within the next 48 hours if security guaranteesare firmed up.
The development is being seen as the first tangible outcome of quietdiplomacy aimed at stabilising the western border ahead of winter.
Source: www.dawn.com”>https://www.dawn.com
