India has so far sent 8,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan in 4 separate shipments via the Attari-Wagah border with Pakistan. The Taliban had last year taken up with Pakistan the need to quickly approve India’s proposal to transport 50,000 MT of the grain through the land route. This is the first time since 2007 that Pakistan has allowed India to use the land route to send aid to Afghanistan. In 2007, India had supplied wheat biscuits to Afghanistan via the land route with Pakistan.

Significantly, a private Indian trader was Thursday reported to have transported Indian sugar to Uzbekistan via Pakistan and Afghanistan in a "historic trade activity." According to a PTI report, the Taliban commerce and industry ministry organised a special ceremony to facilitate the transit of Indian goods, which was despatched to the Karachi port from Mumbai earlier this month, and hailed it as a major step towards turning Afghanistan into a key trade link between Central and South Asia.

India remains concerned though about the deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation in Afghanistan and the lack of a truly inclusive and representative government in Afghanistan. At the UN Human Rights Council recently, the government said its approach to Afghanistan was guided by its traditionally friendly ties with the Afghan people and also that it shared concerns of the international community on issues related to humanitarian assistance, terrorism, drug trafficking and the need to preserve the rights of women, children and minorities.

(With inputs from agencies)