In a public address at a community gathering in Logar, Afghanistan, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Afghan Taliban, declared unity among Pashtun tribes in Pakistan as crucial for their freedom. He stated that the Durand Line has divided half of Afghanistan from them, emphasizing that they have never accepted the Durand Line as a legitimate border and will not do so in the future. Stanikzai dismissed it as an imaginary line drawn by the British on the hearts of Afghans.
Accusing Pakistan of forcefully expelling Afghan migrants in an extremely oppressive manner and insisting they return to their homeland, Stanikzai expressed no hesitation in stating that the land of the Pashtuns (Pakhtunkhwa) does not belong to Pakistan. He highlighted the unjust treatment of migrants, asserting that the visa and passport system has never been accepted, and the Durand Line cannot be enforced upon these Pashtun tribes. He warned that such atrocities could lead to events similar to the 1971 separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan and declared that Pashtun tribes would unite for their freedom.
Stanikzai further claimed that every bullet fired in Afghanistan targeting the Taliban comes from a known source, and justice will prevail one day for those committing crimes.
It is important to note that the issue of the Durand Line remains highly sensitive in Afghanistan, with locals referring to it not as an international border but as a temporary line regarding the land on both sides. The Durand Line, considered a disputed boundary by Afghanistan and Balochistan, is not recognized as an international border by Afghanistan. It was established in 1893 through an agreement between Afghan Amir Abdul Rahman and British Indian Secretary Sir Mortimer Durand, with a duration of 100 years.
The vast border, spanning over 2600 kilometers between Pakistan and Afghanistan, includes more than 1100 kilometers shared with Balochistan.
In the past, during the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, Pakistani authorities sought to resolve the Durand Line issue with the Afghan government, emphasizing international border recognition. However, the Taliban government did not accept it at that time, and the issue remains unresolved to date.