Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has defended the decision to erect a fence along the disputed Durand Line, describing it as a necessary measure to safeguard national security and protect Pakistani citizens from security threats.

Addressing a session of Pakistan’s National Assembly on Saturday, Sharif said the government had invested heavily in constructing fences and security infrastructure along the Durand Line. He argued that the expense was justified as part of broader efforts to strengthen security and combat terrorism.

“Regarding the Durand Line that you referred to, constructing a fence along the border was the right and appropriate step for ensuring Pakistan’s security and protecting its people,” Sharif told lawmakers. “If this fencing can save even the life of one child from the threat of terrorism, then all the money spent on this approximately 2,000-kilometer border is justified, even if it amounts to billions of rupees.”

The Pakistani prime minister’s remarks come amid continuing debate over the status of the Durand Line, a longstanding source of disagreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Islamabad has consistently maintained that fencing is a security necessity aimed at preventing cross-frontier militancy and illegal movement.

However, many Afghan analysts argue that the issue extends beyond security concerns. They contend that the Durand Line carries deep historical, political, cultural, and social significance for communities living on both sides of the line and cannot be viewed solely through a security lens.

Pakistan has repeatedly defended its fencing project in recent years, citing the need to curb terrorism and enhance frontier management. Nevertheless, the Durand Line remains one of the most sensitive and unresolved issues in relations between Kabul and Islamabad.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced that the UN Security Council will hold a meeting on Monday, June 15, to review the future of the mission’s mandate in Afghanistan.

According to UNAMA, its current mandate is set to expire on June 16, and members of the Security Council are expected to discuss whether the mission will be extended and how its activities in Afghanistan will continue.

UNAMA has been operating in Afghanistan since 2002, playing a key role in political engagement, humanitarian coordination, and facilitating international assistance efforts across the country.

The upcoming Security Council session is expected to be closely watched, as the future of the UN mission remains an important issue for Afghanistan and the international community.

The World Food Programme (WFP) has detailed the complex journey required to deliver emergency food aid to Afghan schoolchildren, with a recent shipment traveling nearly 15,000 kilometers across nine countries amid regional instability, border closures and logistical challenges.

The shipment, consisting of 397 metric tons of fortified biscuits donated by Indonesia, was intended to support around 172,000 students in Afghanistan as part of a $3.5 million contribution from the Indonesian government to WFP’s school meals program.

According to the UN agency, the supplies began their journey at Indonesia’s Surabaya port before being shipped to Karachi, Pakistan. However, plans to transport the cargo overland into Afghanistan were disrupted when crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan were closed amid tensions between the two countries.

WFP officials were forced to seek alternative routes to ensure the food reached vulnerable children without significant delays.

A second plan involving transport through the United Arab Emirates and Iran was later abandoned due to instability in the Middle East and disruptions affecting regional shipping routes.

Faced with mounting challenges, WFP logisticians developed a new overland corridor stretching from Dubai through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Türkiye, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan before entering Afghanistan via the Torghundi border crossing.

The 21-truck convoy traveled thousands of kilometers across deserts, highways and ferry crossings, requiring customs clearances, security assessments and transport permits at multiple international borders.

“Hunger doesn’t wait for routes to reopen,” said Corinne Fleischer, Director of WFP Supply Chain and Delivery.

After weeks on the road, the convoy arrived in Kabul, where the biscuits were unloaded for distribution to schools in Ghor, Nuristan and Paktika provinces.

Abdul Ahad Monib, a WFP supply chain officer in Kabul, said the successful delivery reflected the organization’s determination to reach vulnerable communities despite difficult circumstances.

“For the children, it’s a packet of biscuits that helps them stay healthy,” Monib said. “For us, it’s a logistics feat.”

Afghanistan continues to face significant humanitarian challenges, including widespread poverty, food insecurity, natural disasters and declining international aid. For many students, WFP says the fortified biscuits provided through school feeding programs are among the most nutritious foods they receive each day.