Taliban bent upon re drawing the Durand line
The Durand Line, the 2,600-km international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, often witnesses periodic skirmishes between the two forces of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It has never ever been recognized by either the Afghan people or any Government of Afghanistan.
The border is named after British civil servant Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who forcibly signed an agreement with Amir Abdur Rahman, then installed as the puppet Afghan ruler, on November 12, 1893. This boundary was drawn to establish an international border between British India and Afghanistan.
Tensions are escalating between the Taliban and the Pakistan security forces over border fencing at the Durand line. In recent weeks, there have been a number of clashes along the Durand line when the two sides exchanged fire.
In the Dak area of Nimroz province’s Charborjak district, Afghan troops stopped Pakistani soldiers from erecting a barbed wire barrier. The Pakistani army clashed with the Taliban at the Durand Line for the third time in the previous 10 days over fencing.
According to reports, Pakistani personnel were attempting to erect barbed wire barriers.
According to News reports, Pakistan has covered roughly 10 kilometres of Afghan territory in the Charborjak district’s Dak area, which was previously barred by Taliban forces.
Last week, the Pakistani military attempted to extend walls 10 kilometres into Afghan territory.
Talibs replied by ripping the barbed wires down.
Both parties had previously battled on December 22 in the eastern Nangarhar province over a similar issue.
According to Afghanistan’s Press, the barbed wire was dismantled and brought to Afghanistan by Talibs. Previous Afghan governments and the new Taliban regime have often objected to Pakistan fencing its border, saying that they have never approved of its legitimacy.
In September, this was asserted by the Chief Spokesperson of the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid after the formation of the Taliban’s caretaker government.
It seems that sooner or later a full scale war is likely to erupt between the Taliban and Pakistan over this Durand Line.
