US State Department Reacts to Taliban’s Durand Line Statement
The US State Department spokesperson responded to statements made by Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister, concerning the Durand Line.
Mathew Miller said, “We support the territorial integrity of Pakistan and Afghanistan within the framework of internationally recognized borders between the two countries.”
Abbas Stanekzai, a Taliban-appointed official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the Taliban, like previous governments, does not recognize the Durand Line as the official border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
During an event in Logar marking the 35th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Abbas Stanikzai, boldly declared that Afghanistan will never acknowledge the Durand Line as its official border with Pakistan. This statement highlights the enduring dispute between the two nations, significantly impacting Afghan-Pakistani relations.
The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed Abbas Stanekzai’s remarks as ” “self-serving and fanciful claims.”.”
However, the high-ranking Taliban official’s statements were welcomed by the Afghan government’s Foreign Minister, Ashraf Ghani. Hanif Atmar wrote on his Twitter page that despite differences with the Taliban, he agrees with the statements of this Taliban official, and Abbas Stanekzai is not alone in his national stance.
However, Mr. Atmar raised the question of whether the Taliban’s official policy towards the Durand Line is the same or not.
The Durand Line, stretching over 2,400 kilometres, was created in 1893 by an agreement between British India and Afghanistan’s Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. It divides Pashtun and Baloch tribal areas between Afghanistan and present-day Pakistan. Originally serving as a buffer between British India and the Russian Empire, it has long been disputed by Afghanistan, which questions its legitimacy as a true border.
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