* Secret understandings on the Durand Line; The gap between public positions and behind-the-scenes deals*

* Secret understandings on the Durand Line; The gap between public positions and behind-the-scenes deals*
Kabul Times News 23-04-2026
Reliable diplomatic sources say that in 2017, before the start of the process of barbed wire or fencing along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Hanif Atmar (Advisor to the National Security Council), along with Omar Zakhilwal (Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan) and Sartaj Aziz (National Security and Foreign Policy Advisor to the Nawaz Sharif government), traveled to London in secret with the mediation of Britain. It is said that they reached an understanding on the border fencing in this meeting; a move that is interpreted as a kind of re-acceptance of Pakistan's jurisdiction over the Durand Line.

With the start of the fencing process by Pakistan, the then Afghan government ostensibly condemned this move and showed its opposition by issuing statements; but in reality, it is claimed that these positions were taken to deceive public opinion. According to this account, Atmar and Zakhilwal had reached such an agreement for political and electoral reasons.

A reliable source in Kabul, who did not want to be named due to security concerns, says that he has repeatedly witnessed open deals and understandings about the Durand Line by some members of parliament from the border provinces and politicians. According to him, these same people emphasize Durand positions and identity issues in public circles, while these approaches are not out of compassion for the Pashtun community, but in line with their financial, political and electoral interests.

Also, historical sources, works and political memoirs show that some ruling leaders in Afghanistan have, at different times, been willing to make deals over the Durand Line due to political goals and insignificant trade-offs.