Pakistan allows airlifting of equipment for Afghan troops

Islamabad, May 5 (IANS) Pakistan Monday allowed military equipment to be airlifted from its airports for Afghan security forces, officials said.

Pakistan and the US had signed a memorandum of understanding in July, 2012, which deals with the use of Pakistan lines of communications to or from Afghanistan, Xinhua reported.

The operation will be treated as "commercial" and will continue for the next couple of weeks, an official statement said.

"The first flight of the commercial multi-model operation from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, carrying 15 military vehicles on board took off for Bagram Air Base today," the statement from the Press Information Department said.

"The transportation by air has been allowed to airlift vehicles meant for Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) as a special gesture by the government of Pakistan," it said.

The vehicles are of vital importance and urgently required by ANSF, Pakistan Defence Secretary Lt. Gen. (Retd) Asif Yasin Malik, who witnessed the launching of the operation, said.

"This arrangement has been made to facilitate rapid delivery of vital military cargo to our brotherly neighbouring state to enhance its security and stability," the Pakistani government said.

"This effort is expected to contribute towards strengthening the existing relations with Afghanistan."