Published 12:01 IST, November 5th 2020
Afghanistan Envoy thanks India for providing 75000 tonnes wheat; bolstering food security
Afghan Chargé d'Affaires Tahir Qadiry expressed his gratitude and thanked the Indian government for providing Afghanistan with aid amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Taking to Twitter, Afghan Chargé d'Affaires Tahir Qadiry expressed his gratitude and thanked the Indian government for providing Afghanistan with aid amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Afghan envoy called India 'a friend indeed' while informing that India helped the country bolster food security by donating 75,000 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat. Tahir Qadiry further thanked all the Indian officials who visited the Afghanistan Embassy in India to share condolences and condemn the Kabul University attack.
"Assisting Afghanistan"
The Indian Embassy in Afghanistan issued an official press release with regards to the completion of donation of 75,000 MT of wheat to Afghanistan amid the pandemic. According to the press release, the wheat was supplied in 10 instalments from April 2020 to September 2020. This shipment sent via the Chabahar port was a part of India's 'humanitarian and economic assistance' initiative.
"The shipment of wheat was supplied to Afghanistan in 10 instalments between April and September 2020, through Chabahar, with the aim of assisting Afghanistan in augmenting its food security during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic," read the press release.
Tahir Qadiry expresses 'heartfelt gratitude'
In a series of tweets, Chargé d'Affaires Tahir Qadiry thanked all the ambassadors, dignitaries and other Indian officials who visited the Afghanistan Embassy in India or sent 'note verbales, mails or called' to express their condolences and sign the 'book of condolences' opened at the embassy and for condemning the 'barbaric' Kabul University attack. He also thanked other officials as well as several foreign ambassadors for standing by Afghanistan in such a tough time.
"Thanks to HE G. BALASUBRAMANIAN, Additional Joint Secretary & deputy PAI division for coming to the embassy to express their solidarity with Afghans at this difficult moment," read a tweet from Tahir Qadiry.
"Despite the COVID-19 restrictions, more than 20 foreign ambassadors paid a visit to the embassy to stand with Afghans at this testing time. We also received messages or in-person visits of 30 military attaches based in Delhi," added the Afghan Chargé d'Affaires.
The 'book of condolences' was opened for signing at the embassy from 10 am to 5 pm on November 3, just a day after the Kabul University attack that killed about 35 people and left several others injured.
Kabul University Attack
According to the Afghanistan Interior Ministry spokesperson, three armed men stormed the campus of the Kabul University on Monday and launched an attack at the time when the inauguration of a book exhibition on the campus where the Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan was present along with several other Afghan and Iranian officials. The Ministry spokesperson further informed that attackers were killed in the gunfight while adding that most of the people who lost their lives in the attack were students.
Taliban issued a statement denying any involvement while condemning the attack on Kabul University as Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on the University that lasted for hours but it has stated that only two gunmen were sent contrary to what Afghan authorities have been claiming. The Kabul University attack comes amid the ongoing peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban representatives, where both sides negotiating a deal in order to end the war that has been going on for 20 years.
(With inputs from ANI & AP)
Updated 12:01 IST, November 5th 2020