RASC News Agency: Abdul Hafiz Mansoor, a senior leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF) of Afghanistan, has announced that the NRF recognizes the Durand Line as the official border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Furthermore, he revealed that the NRF is currently engaged in negotiations with Pakistan to establish a united front against the Taliban. In a televised interview, Mansoor stated, “We acknowledge Afghanistan’s borders as they were established during its founding. Our respect and commitment extend equally to all borders, whether they lie in the west, east, or south of the country.”
He further explained, “Afghanistan’s borders with neighboring nations China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Pakistan were all historically determined and hold equal significance for us. We regard these boundaries with identical validity.”xThis acknowledgment of the Durand Line as a legitimate border sets the NRF apart from the Taliban and many Pashtun leaders in Afghanistan, who have historically rejected the line’s legitimacy. Mansoor clarified, “For us, all borders of Afghanistan are equally valid as international boundaries. If the eastern border is questioned, then the western border must also be questioned. The same powers that delineated our eastern boundaries also established our western ones.”
Mansoor also disclosed that Pakistan has reached out to the NRF for discussions aimed at forming an alliance against the Taliban. The Durand Line, drawn in 1893 during British colonial rule, has long been a point of contention. While Pakistan considers it an official boundary, many Pashtun leaders and the Taliban view it as an illegitimate division of Pashtun tribal areas. This announcement represents a significant shift in Afghanistan’s political landscape, potentially paving the way for new regional alliances and altering the dynamics of the fight against the Taliban.
