New Delhi: A large consignment of biscuits sent by India to war-torn Afghanistan as part of a relief package two years ago has still not crossed the Pak-Afghan border due to Islamabad's refusal to allow Indian trucks or goods with Indian markings to go to its western neighbour, official sources said today (Oct 10, 2004).

Ten thousand tonnes of high-energy biscuits, sent by India at the request of the World Food Programme (WFP) in June 2002, and kept in a godown in Pakistan must have rotten by now due to "certain humiliating conditions" imposed by Pakistan, the sources said.

Pakistan insisted that the consignment should be loaded on to its Army trucks for onward shipment to Afghanistan and the biscuit packages would not carry Indian markings, they said.

The sources claimed that even United Nations trucks were being refused permission by the Pakistani authorities.

India has now offered to send fresh packages of biscuits and other relief materials and WFP has said it would use its own trucks, the sources said, adding the issue was raised at various levels even by UN agencies "but to no avail".

Jean Arnault, chief of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) which has been working hard to help the people in the war-ravaged country, has also criticised Pakistan for creating obstruction in the passage of relief materials.