Pakistan fighting political battles as Durand line remains gripped

ISLAMABAD: While militancy and violence are on the rise along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, the federal government in Islamabad is busy fighting its political battles with ousted former Prime Minister Imran Khan, media reports said.

One of the most contentious issues between Pakistan and Afghanistan is the border between the countries where the security prospects continue to remain grim and unresolved, especially in the tribal belt, reported Times of Israel citing multiple reports.

Things are rather ironic with Pakistan-Taliban relations. It is the same Pakistan that had expected strategic depth with the Taliban after its takeover of Afghanistan however the situation remains sloppy. The impact of militancy is adversely impacting many civilians as well.

There have been continuous protests calling for peace in the region. Slogans of "we want peace" were raised in end-September after eight people, including a former "Aman" (peace) Committee head and two policemen, were killed by a remote-controlled bomb that struck their vehicle in the Ghlo Kandaw area of Kabal tehsil in Swat valley, reported Times of Israel.

Seeking peace in the terror-stricken valley, the agitators comprised a large number of youths, elders, lawyers, transporters, traders, doctors, and students who held placards inscribed with slogans against the terrorists and seeking peace, Dawn reported.

The border conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan over Durand Line that divides not just the two countries but also the Pashtuns remains a bone of contention between the two nations, however, both chose to remain silent on several issues related to human rights.

According to Al Arabiya, the growing rancour between the two countries was manifested in a recent incident on September 19, wherein Afghan security guards posted at Pakistan Consulate, Jalalabad mistreated Pakistan diplomats.

They also stopped the President and two members of the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce from meeting the Pak Consulate General. The Durand Line passes through the present-day Pakistani provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (NWFP), Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Balochistan.

It also includes 10 provinces in Afghanistan. Disputed in the context of the struggle for the Pashtun homeland, it has of late become the cause of heightened border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, according to reports.

While Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of harbouring anti-Pakistan elements, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on its soil, the Taliban do not recognize the Durand Line which separates the two countries and divides the home of ethnic Pashtuns.

Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, Pakistan has been trying to persuade the Afghan Taliban to crack down on TTP. Instead, the Afghan Taliban mediated talks between Pakistan and TTP that led to the release of dozens of TTP prisoners in Pakistan, reported Al Arabiya.

Islamabad was partly optimistic in the wake of the Taliban takeover. It hoped that the Taliban regime would accept the Durand Line's legitimacy and leverage its links with the proscribed organization Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to broker a peace agreement.

While Taliban links have facilitated Islamabad-TTP talks, which led to a ceasefire, the Taliban seems reluctant to apply total pressure on the TTP.

The Taliban is also in no mood to grant any concessions on the issue, given that skirmishes between themselves and Pakistani troops continue.

In the wake of this, there have been repeated reports of firing and clashes between the security forces of the two countries at the border.