LAHORE: The Lahore Customs has been ordered to ensure hassle-free clearance of Indian wheat supply to Afghanistan by way of Pakistan on humanitarian grounds.
Pakistan has completed arrangements to facilitate the supply of wheat by India to Afghanistan on humanitarian grounds and under the arrangement, 60 trucks would reach Wagah Border (Lahore) from Afghanistan to further travel to Attari (India) and collect the first consignment of wheat from Indian authorities.
“Under the government’s decision, we will not charge any duty/tax from the Afghan authorities on the collection of wheat from India at Attari border,” a senior customs official said.
The Indian government has entered into an agreement with an Afghanistan-based logistics company that would be liable to send empty trucks via Torkham border (Peshawar) to Wagah (Lahore). When entering Pakistan at Torkham, the authorities would carry out a detailed security check of the trucks.
“At Attari, the India authorities would facilitate the unloading of wheat bags from their trucks and loaded onto the Afghan vehicles. The Afghan trucks would then return to Wagah border where Pakistan Rangers would carry out a detailed security check and the customs authorities check the commodity. After clearance, the trucks would be dispatched for Afghanistan via Torkham where they would be checked again,” the officer explained.
