PESHAWAR: Following media reports that Afghan authorities had declined to accept Pakistan’s aid to quake victims in western Herat province, officials in Kabul and Islamabad pleaded unawareness regarding developments related to relief assistance on Friday.
Last week, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) announced it had arranged to send food, medication and other relief items to Afghanistan after deadly tremors measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale resulted in over 2,400 fatalities in Herat.
The NDMA said it was also ready to send search and rescue teams to the neighboring state and had shortlisted trained professionals who could carry out these operations in Afghanistan.
While its statement said the authorities had been directed to expedite the dispatch of relief goods through the quickest available means, it is not clear what happened to Pakistan’s promised assistance to Afghanistan.
“I don’t have any details about this issue,” foreign office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch told Arab News.
A similar comment was also made by Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesperson for the Afghan government, who said he did not have information related to the subject.
“I have no updates as of yet, but I will share any details later,” he informed.
Afghanistan, known for its mountainous topography, has a history of experiencing significant earthquakes, often originating from the seismically active Hindu Kush area bordering Pakistan.
The latest earthquake in Herat ranked among the deadliest in recent years and was followed by aftershocks lasting several hours.
A senior official at Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Kabul, who declined to be named since he was not authorized to speak to the media, said Pakistan had sought permission from Kabul to send C-130 aircraft carrying relief goods, but the Afghan officials did not respond.
“The Afghan authorities are using delaying tactics and are reluctant to take any decision,” he said. “I personally think the Afghan government cannot take a decision at this particular juncture since there is anti-Pakistan sentiment at play among Afghans following Islamabad’s decision to expel illegal immigrants.”
“So, the Afghan government is reluctant dispatch of aid while fearing reaction from its people,” he continued, adding the Taliban administration might take time to entertain Islamabad’s request.
Pakistan is among a handful of countries that have retained their relations with Afghanistan since the Taliban seized control of Kabul in August 2021.
