Shamim shahid
PESHAWAR: Former President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai has said that Pakistan has intensified military and economic pressure on villages and residents living along the disputed Durand Line in what observers describe as a broader effort to push local communities toward engaging with Pakistani authorities on security and administrative matters.
Through a press statement issued on Saturday, Hamid Karzai said that the recent measures have reportedly affected tribal populations on both sides of the border, increasing tensions in an already sensitive region historically marked by political and territorial disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Amid the evolving situation, a number of tribal elders from both sides of the frontier recently signed documents described as “peace agreements.” The agreements were later formally welcomed and endorsed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, drawing criticism from Afghan political commentators and nationalist circles.
Hamid Karzai said that analysts and critics in Afghanistan argue that the developments may be part of an attempt to give formal recognition and legitimacy to the so-called Durand Line — a border Afghanistan has historically disputed — through local tribal mechanisms and cross-border arrangements.They contend that any agreement perceived as altering the political or legal status of the frontier carries implications for Afghanistan’s sovereignty and national position on the issue.
Calls have since emerged for Afghan authorities to provide a clear and transparent explanation to the public regarding the nature of the agreements, the involvement of tribal representatives, and the government’s stance on recent developments along the border.
Karzai reminded that the Durand Line remains one of the most contentious issues in relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with successive Afghan governments refusing to formally recognise it as an international border.
