Pakistan refuses passage for Indian goods
to Afghanistan

Pakistan on Sunday rejected Afghanistan's appeal to allow Indian goods into the country via Pakistani territory.

The Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Aziz Ahmed Khan did mention that Pakistan was considering allowing Indian biscuits even though wheat would remain barred.

There would be no such bar, however, on goods from Afghanistan being sent to India.

This was divulged after the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Ministerial Commission meeting which concluded in Kabul on Sunday.

Pakistan had earlier blocked consignments of Indian wheat aid being sent to Afghanistan, after the Hamid Karzai regime came to power in Kabul, stating it was contaminated.

Imports to Afghanistan go through the land route of Wagha (Punjab) to Turkhan (Northwest Frontier Province) and onward to Kabul via Jalalabad.

A report in the Daily Times on Monday quoted a senior Pakistani official as saying "Pakistan, however, will continue facilitating Afghanistan's exports to India through its land route via Turkham to Wahga and onward to India. Afghanistan's exporters are already exporting fruit, dry fruit and even hand made carpets to India using the same Pakistani route."

Agencies