According to a Twitter post put out by Pakistan prime minister’s office on Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he would 'favourably consider' the request by Afghanistan

International aid for Afghanistan especially wheat from India could soon reach the people of the war-torn country through Pakistan.

According to a Twitter post put out by Pakistan prime minister’s office on Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he would “favourably consider" the request by Afghanistan, currently governed by Pakistan backed Taliban, to allow the relief consignment through Pakistani territory.

“The Prime Minister conveyed that in the current context Pakistan would favourably consider the request by Afghan brothers for transportation of wheat offered by India through Pakistan on exceptional basis for humanitarian purposes and as per modalities to be worked out," the post from the Pakistan prime minister’s office handle said.

Last month, a UN report said that Afghanistan was on a “countdown to catastrophe" without urgent humanitarian relief including food reaching the country.

“The combined shocks of drought, conflict, covid-19 and an economic crisis in Afghanistan, have left more than half the population facing a record level of acute hunger," the UN assessment said.

The economic crisis in Afghanistan follows the 15 August takeover of Kabul by the Taliban that has resulted in the blocking of $ 9 billion in Afghan government assets held in the New York Federal Reserve, according to news reports.

India has been urging the need for “unimpeded, unhindered access for aid or humanitarian assistance providers."

“I think that is a key element of anything that we would be in a position to extend assistance. As you know, we have been looking at the possibilities, but there have been difficulties due to lack of unimpeded access," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters on Thursday.

Tense ties between India and Pakistan have resulted in the latter not allowing Indian shipments to Afghanistan pass through its territory.

He confirmed that the subject was an item on the agenda of a meeting of security officials from Iran, Russia, the five Central Asian countries and India in New Delhi on Wednesday.

“During the NSA (National Security Advisors’) meeting, both the bilateral meetings as well as in the actual conference that took place, there was clearly concern over the very serious humanitarian situation, and I would say looming humanitarian situation rather than just immediate," Bagchi said.

“All the regional countries were on the same page in expressing their concern on the humanitarian situation and their determination to see that assistance is provided and their call for ensuring unimpeded and unhindered movement of goods as well as movement of aid workers etc. shows the importance of it. I don't think they had a deadline in mind but naturally with winter approaching, and there are disturbing reports coming in off the dire humanitarian situation and I hope that this joint call by so many national security heads would spur movement on the ground," he added on Thursday.