DURAND
LINE
(I
am not some frustrated individual who tries to break Pakistan and who struggles
for a Fanciest Pakhtun Republic. My intention is to understand the issue of
Durand Line and peace in the AF-PAK Region)
In
the wake of elections in Pakistan the issue of Durand Line raised by the Afghan
President Hamid Karzai may seem a non-issue. However, this issue will always
remain fresh. Karzai said that Afghanistan would never recognize the Durand
Line. In response to the statement Foreign Ministry Pakistan said that the issue
was already settled.
Apparently,
these are occasional statements and are mostly issued for the internal
consumption as one of my friends on facebook pointed out. However, on both
sides of the Durand Line Pashtuns hold a strong perception against the Durand
Line and believe it to be dividing Pashtuns politically, culturally and as an
organic society.
Have
we the courage, will or an unbiased approach to address this issue from
different perspectives? Do we have any solution for it through peaceful means
and dialogue? What future do we have as Pashtuns from both side of the Durand
Line?
A
fair referendum is not possible in Pakistan. Here elections are rigged and
political parties are persecuted.
Referendum
by the UN is also a possibility. However, this must require Afghanistan to
convince the UN or there must be a very genuine political movement among
Pakhtuns in Pakistan which may force the international community for direct
actions. International intervention is always subject to Great Powers interest.
For example Pakistan has not progressed on the Kashmir issue an inch further
due to the fact that India enjoys diplomatic ties with almost all major powers.
This
is an issue. As long as Tribal Areas maintain a special status and as long as
they remain as buffer the issue will exist.
This
special status of FATA is very interesting. The colonialists left this area as
buffer simply for two reasons. 1. To give Afghanistan some room for claiming
these areas back. 2. To use the same areas for any future advancement by Soviet
with the help of Afghanistan. Otherwise no reason exists for giving a special
status to FATA.
Now
this is not as simple as there was one person Jinnah who created Pakistan and
who knew all about Pakistan and the rest of the Muslim Leagues were blind
followers. Isn't it very strange that 2,640 Km border with a hostile neighbour
(Afghanistan) and still more hostile population (Pakhtuns) was left to be
protected by those who held some loose allegiance to both Afghanistan and
Pakistan?
My
point remains that neither Jinnan, nor Pakistan nor the British nor Afghanistan
were in favour of a permanent border status for the Durand Line. That is why
all were pleased with this buffer zone formula.
Finally,
the demarcation of Durand Line is not to be taken as an issue as the line
originally meant political sphere of influence of Afghanistan and the British
India and which did not mean a traditional border between two countries. So I
reiterate the "Buffer Zone Theory" has got more substance. There
remained a tacit understanding among all the stakeholders to keep this area as
buffer and successive regimes in both Pakistan and Afghanistan never questioned
its status.
P.S. In a latest interview Karzai made it clear that Afghan govt is not raising the issue because Afghan government wants a peaceful solution to the problems between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He added that more friendly ties between the two country can develop a confederation between the two countries due to which the Durand Line will itself become irrelevant.
P.S. In a latest interview Karzai made it clear that Afghan govt is not raising the issue because Afghan government wants a peaceful solution to the problems between Afghanistan and Pakistan. He added that more friendly ties between the two country can develop a confederation between the two countries due to which the Durand Line will itself become irrelevant.
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