PESHAWAR: The Pak-Afghan Cooperation Forum (PACF), on behalf of the Pakistan government dispatched 17 trucks loaded with 300 tonnes of edibles to Afghanistan on Sunday as humanitarian aid.
“Afghans are our Muslim brothers and neighbors and we have centuries old relations with them,” PACF Chairman Habibullah Khan Khattak said while talking to journalists at Pak-Afghan border Torkham.
He said that the 40 years long war in Afghanistan ruined the economy, agriculture and administrative infrastructure of the country and the sudden withdrawal of international aid agencies put the entire population at risk.
Habibullah pointed out that last year’s drought also added to the miseries of Afghan people who were facing humanitarian crisis. “The situation can result into a humanitarian catastrophe, if immediate and effective steps are not taken”, he added.
He further said that Pak Afghan Cooperation Forum (PACF) was a Trust established to assist Afghan population in the hour of need. “We aim not only to provide immediate humanitarian assistance in form of food, medicine and non-food items to the people of Afghanistan, but to help them to stand on their own feet and make their homeland peaceful”, Khattak added.
“Our activities not limited to coordinate all humanitarian assistance but includes procurement, storage, transportation, and distribution of rations, medicine or shelter for the needy people of Afghanistan as well as interact with prospective donors and beneficiaries at organizational and individual levels,” he highlighted.
“With the help of various philanthropists and the Government of Pakistan, we have managed to lift 32 tons flour, six tons cooking oil, two tons medicine through C-130.” Khattak said.
Similarly, he said they were dispatching an aid convoy of 17 trucks loaded with a total of 300 tons edible items including 65 tons sugar, three tons pulses, 190 tons flour, 11 tons cooking oil and 31 tons rice.
“This is the first step towards this noble cause”, Habibullah said, expressing hope that in the coming days they will also provide support in education, health and livelihood.
Later, the Consul General of Pakistan at Jalalabad Abidullah and Regional Head Ministry of Industries and Private Sectors Maulvi Mubariz received the edible loaded trucks and thanked the government of Pakistan and Pak Afghan Cooperation Forum (PACF) for helping Afghan people at this critical juncture.
