WAGAH: In a rare development amid rising tensions, five trucks under the Afghan transit trade crossed into India through the Wagah-Attari border. These trucks were loaded with Afghan dry fruits and driven by Pakistani drivers.
According to reliable sources, the trucks had been waiting at the border for weeks. The National Logistics Cell (NLC) was supervising the cargo during this waiting period. The breakthrough came after the Indian government granted a 24-hour entry permit.
Pakistan permitted the movement at the request of the Afghan government. Officials revealed that Kabul had appealed to Islamabad to allow 150 trucks, part of the Afghan transit trade, to proceed to India. These trucks had been stranded after India suddenly shut its border last month due to increasing political and military tensions with Pakistan.
On May 1, Pakistan gave conditional approval for the cross-border passage. However, the trucks remained at the border. The delay was caused by India’s slow process of issuing entry permits. Further complications arose from clashes and heightened security concerns along the border.
These five trucks were the first from the group to be cleared under the Afghan transit trade agreement. More vehicles are expected to follow once permits are processed.
This development shows that trade diplomacy can still function, even when bilateral ties remain strained. The successful movement of these trucks under the Afghan transit trade arrangement marks a small but significant breakthrough in regional cooperation.
