Afghanistan: Acting Defense Minister says previous govt allowed Pakistan to cross Durand Line
Feb 15, 2022
Kabul [Afghanistan], February 15 : Acting Defense Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob Mujahid said that Afghanistan's previous government has allowed Pakistan to cross the Durand Line, said South Asia Media Research Institute, quoting the minister.
Taking to Twitter, SAMRI said, "#Taliban's Defense Minister Mulla Yaqub: So far we have not allowed Pakistan to fence the Durand Line. It was the previous government that allowed them to do so. In future, we'll act as per the decision taken by our cabinet but we don't allow the border fencing for now.
Meanwhile, the bilateral relations between Pakistan and the Taliban are turning hostile over the issue of Durand Line and cross-border "terror activities" of groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) against Islamabad.
Taliban have not accepted the Durand Line as the 'official' boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan. There have been frequent skirmishes between Taliban and Pak security forces along the border after the fall of Kabul in August 2021.
Also, Pakistan fears that the Taliban's inaction against anti-Pakistan militants in Afghanistan could prove fatal to the country's internal security and may also fuel the fire to secessionist sentiments among the Pashtun population.
Furthermore, all the unresolved issues such as the border fencing, reconciliation process with TTP, and alleged cross-border terror attacks against Pakistan is negatively impacting the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
