RASC News Agency: Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy to Afghanistan, addressed the contentious issue of the Durand Line in an interview on the Ambassador Lounge program. He declared, “Let me make this clear: the Durand Line is neither our issue nor our concern. It has never been a subject of debate in our policymaking. It is an internationally recognized border. The opinions of the Taliban or others on this matter are inconsequential. This is their problem, not ours.” The Taliban regime, much like Afghanistan’s previous ethnocentric and autocratic administrations, dismisses the Durand Line as a “hypothetical and imposed” border and refuses to recognize it as the official demarcation between the two nations. At the same time, the Taliban advocate for Afghanistan’s “territorial integrity,” a stance that lacks coherence without acknowledging this internationally recognized boundary.
Afghanistan’s past nationalist and authoritarian governments have exhibited a paradoxical approach, celebrating the legacy of Abdur Rahman Khan while rejecting the Durand Line one of his most significant historical agreements. Durrani also highlighted the Taliban’s persistent domestic and international isolation, emphasizing, “The Taliban must realize that they remain ostracized on the global stage. If they believe they have established relations with over 40 countries, they are deeply mistaken. Not a single nation has officially recognized their government to date.”
He further acknowledged the failure of Islamabad’s diplomatic efforts to convince the Taliban to prevent the use of Afghanistan territory for anti-Pakistan activities. When asked about measures to pressure the Taliban, Durrani stated, “Airstrikes have been among the strategies employed, while the closure of trade routes has been another, though less effective, option.” Concluding his remarks, Durrani underscored Pakistan’s indispensability to the Taliban, stating, “The Taliban fully understand that without Pakistan, their path forward is untenable.”
