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KABUL: The Afghan Ministry of Borders and Tribal Affairs has suggested to keep at bay the issue of Durand Line at the moment as it is not a good time to raise the issue with Pakistan.
In response to the recent remarks by Atta Mohammad Noor the Chief Executive of Jamiat-e Islami party, Abdul Waheed Khawari a spokesman for the Ministry of Border Affairs said that individuals and governments cannot make a decision about the fate of the Durand Line because it is “a very big issue”.
“We can hold a referendum when we have peace in our country,” ariananews quoted Khawari as saying.
Afghanistan has never accepted the Durand Line as the main border with Pakistan, and both the former and incumbent governments rejected its recognition.
Sayed Naveed Amiri, an international relations commentator says that Afghanistan needs to finalize the issue of peace with the Taliban and then both Pakistan and Afghanistan can discuss the Durand Line.
This comes, according to ariananews, a day after Atta Mohammad Noor, a prominent Afghan politician suggested that a referendum must be held to decide regarding the issue of the Durand Line between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Noor added that it is the main problem between the two countries and people living on both sides of the Line can make a decision in this regard.
Durand Line is a controversial issue, and only people living in both sides of the Line has the right to talk about it. A source privy to ministry said that its better for Afghan politicians to keep at bay the issue of Durand Line in the peace talks. According to him, Afghan politicians are in Pakistan in quest of peace, not for any sorts of deal and that toward such a controversial matter. He called on politicians to pay attention how to convince Pakistan to shun supporting insurgency, and stop providing hideouts to the Taliban and other terrorist groups, instead of making any kind of deal.
