Afghan Gov’t Urged to Resolve Controversial Durand Line Issue

Meshrano Jirga (Senate House) on Tuesday urged the government to resolve the controversial issue of Durand Line with Pakistan in coordination of the United Nations.

The issue once again sparked reaction of the government officials and parliament after British ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Nicholas Kay, recently, has said that in the eyes of the international community, the Durand Line is the official border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The senators reiterated that Afghanistan will never accept the Durand Line as official border between the two neighboring countries. They insisted the issue should resolved with coordination of the United Nations.

“The [British] envoy has no right to talk and interfere in Afghanistan’s sovereignty,” said Senator Zalmai Zabuli. Adding that the Foreign Ministry should have summoned the official for his “inappropriate” comments on Durand Line.  

The First Deputy Chairman of the Senate, Mohammad Alam Izedyar, however, said that the Durand Line is one of the reasons for ongoing war and tensions with Pakistan. He urged the government to response to British envoy’s remarks on the issue.

This comes a day after the Afghan National Security Advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar in a released statement said that foreign diplomats in Afghanistan should take into consideration the sensitivities of the Afghan people and the country’s national and historical values while taking a stance on certain issues.