RASC News Agency: The Taliban cabinet has tasked the National Statistics and Information Authority to issue Afghanistani national identity cards (tazkiras) to Pashtuns living along the Durand Line in Pakistan. According to an official letter, the cabinet has instructed the authority to deliver ID card services to residents of border districts, including parts of Paktika province adjacent to the so-called Durand Line.
The directive reads: “The National Statistics and Information Authority is charged with providing tazkira services to all residents in border districts of Afghanistan, including those in Paktika province situated near the hypothetical Durand Line.” The Durand Line, marking the official boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has historically been rejected by the Taliban, as with previous Afghanistan governments, who regarded it as a “hypothetical” boundary. The line was established in 1893 during the reign of Amir Abdur Rahman Khan.
Recently, the Taliban regime revealed that its leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, formed a committee aimed at resolving issues in regions near the Durand Line and other border areas. The Taliban claims that the committee will provide residents of these border zones with access to key services, including religious and modern education, healthcare, telecommunications, roads, and potable water.
Historically, previous Afghan governments have issued Afghanistan IDs to Pakistani Pashtuns as part of efforts to inflate ethnic population numbers. Similarly, Pakistan has issued ID cards and passports to Pashtuns residing in Afghanistan border provinces to further its security and political interests. Today, the Taliban seems intent on formally integrating Pakistani Pashtuns with Afghanistan by officially distributing Afghanistan identity cards to millions of Pashtuns living in Pakistan.
This move reflects a continuation of the demographic and strategic practices of earlier Afghanistan regimes, now pursued by the Taliban to extend their influence and strengthen ties with Pashtun populations on both sides of the Durand Line.
