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No agreement on Durand Line, says Afghan defense minister
The Minister of Defense of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has stated that no agreement was reached regarding the Durand Line during recent talks with Pakistan’s military officials in Doha, emphasizing that the issue is a matter for nations—not governments—to decide.
Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid made the remarks during an online press conference on Sunday, following controversy over Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs referring to the Durand Line as a “border” in its official statement—language that sparked widespread speculation.
“The Durand Line represents the collective stance of the Afghan nation. It has never been recognized as an official border, and no agreement has been made on this issue,” Mujahid said. “This is not a decision any government can make; it is a matter for the people.”
Reaffirming Afghanistan’s sovereignty, Mujahid stressed the country’s right to establish independent foreign relations. He noted that ties with India should not be viewed as a threat to Pakistan.
“We seek strong and respectful relations with India, a key power in the region,” he said. “At the same time, we aim to maintain friendly and positive relations with Pakistan. We are not in favor of enmity with any country.”
Mujahid also noted that technical teams from both sides will work to identify any violations of existing agreements in order to prevent future tensions or conflict.
The Doha discussions also covered the resumption of trade and the voluntary return of Afghan refugees.
The spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid announced on Wednesday that the security and defense forces of the Islamic Emirate will temporarily halt the “Rad al-Zulm” defensive operation on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr and also at the request of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar.
Zabiullah Mujahid said in a post on X: “The Islamic Emirate, while appreciating the goodwill of friendly and mediating countries, emphasizes that maintaining Afghanistan’s national security, territorial integrity, and the safety of Afghan lives is its national and religious duty, and it will bravely respond to any aggression in case of a threat.”
Meanwhile, Ataullah Tarar, Pakistan’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting, also announced that Pakistan has temporarily suspended its attacks on Afghanistan for Eid al-Fitr at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey.
A UN official told Reuters on Wednesday that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) estimated the number of victims of the bombing of Kabul’s Omid hospital by Pakistan at 143 dead.
However, health officials in Afghanistan had earlier reported that the attack killed more than 400 people and injured 265.
Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai has accused Pakistan of trying to create “anarchy and weakness” in Afghanistan, following a deadly airstrike on Kabul.
In an interview with UK’s Sky News, Karzai said Islamabad’s policies were aimed at keeping Afghanistan unstable and “downtrodden,” warning that such an approach would harm both countries.
He condemned the recent strike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, which Afghan officials say killed around 400 people, describing it as an “extremely unfortunate event” in the history of relations between the two neighbours.
Karzai said he personally heard the explosion, describing a “horrific sound” that shook his home and filled the surrounding area with smoke and dust.
The former leader, who governed Afghanistan from 2002 to 2014, said tensions between the two countries are longstanding, claiming Pakistan has struggled to maintain stable relations with successive Afghan governments.
He urged Pakistani leaders to change course and pursue a more constructive relationship, saying past strategies of interference and destabilisation had failed and would not succeed in the future.
Fighting between the two countries has intensified since late February, when Pakistan launched airstrikes it says targeted militant infrastructure. The United Nations estimates the violence has displaced more than 100,000 people.
Pakistan has denied targeting civilians, insisting its operations were aimed at militant sites and accusing Kabul of spreading “misleading” claims to deflect from alleged cross-Durand Line threats.
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