Pakistan embassy in Kabul rejects media reports over Durand Line controversy

Pakistan embassy in Kabul rejects media reports over Durand Line controversy

KABUL - Pakistan embassy in Kabul rejects media reports over Durand Line controversy published in the Afghanistan media.

Pakistan said Saturday that the Durand Line was an internationally recognized border, reportedly asking Afghanistan to recognize the de-facto line, otherwise it would affect the Afghan peace talks. However, a day later, the Embassy of Pakistan in Kabul rejected the report as ‘baseless’.

“Durand is the official border line between Afghanistan and Pakistan and has been recognized internationally. If the government of Afghanistan does not recognize the border line, this will affect its ongoing peace talks,” Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs was quoted as saying on Saturday by the Kabul News, Afghanistan Times has reported.

The report was later published by the Afghanistan Times daily.

In a statement on Sunday, the Pakistani mission said the Pakistani foreign ministry had issued no such statement either on September 21 or at any other time in which any mention of “ongoing peace talks” or linkage had been made between “borderline and peace line.”