India plans aid for lakhs of Afghans displaced by Pakistan

In a move that would be seen with ‘unease’ in Pakistan, India in a major outreach to Afghanistan is considering humanitarian assistance for Afghan refugees expelled by Pakistan in the past few months. India’s assistance could include providing rations, daily needs, besides health facilities and even temporary shelters, sources said.

More than 2,50,000 Afghans have left Pakistan in the last month alone, estimates the UN refugee agency (UNHCR). A statement of the UN refugee agency on April 29 had said, 96,000 of those returned to Afghanistan were forcibly deported by Islamabad.

This was putting greater pressure on already stretched humanitarian resources and worsening the plight of millions struggling to survive, the UN had said.

Separately, on Friday, India allowed 160 dry-fruit laden trucks from Afghanistan to enter India via its Wagah-Attari land route with Pakistan. These trucks had been held up as India-Pakistan closed the trade portal to each other.

This development comes just a day after the first ever Foreign Ministerial level interaction between India and Afghanistan’s Taliban-led dispensation happened on Thursday. Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi had called up External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The phone call was significant as Muttaqi is scheduled visit to Iran and China next week.

Both leaders agreed to remain in touch, marking a step-up in relations with the Taliban regime. So far Indian officials, have been in regular touch with Muttaqi. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met him in January and promised that India would consider engaging in development projects in the near future, in addition to the ongoing humanitarian assistance programme.

India is exploring fresh development projects for Afghanistan in view of the current need for development, sources said. Also India-Afghanistan are working to enhance their bilateral trade from the current level of $ 1 billion (approx Rs 8,500 crore).