Qatar Removes ‘Border’ Reference from Statement on Durand Line after Afghan Backlash
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has revised a recent statement on a ceasefire agreement between Kabul and Islamabad, removing the term ‘border’ in reference to the contentious Durand Line. This move came in response to widespread criticism from the Afghan public.
In the original version of the statement, Qatar had officially described the Durand Line as the ‘border between Afghanistan and Pakistan’—a phrase that sparked significant historical and national sensitivities among Afghans. The Durand Line, which was drawn up during British colonial rule as part of an agreement between British India and Emir Abdur Rahman Khan, has never been formally recognized by successive Afghan governments as an official border.
Amid growing criticism on social media and concerns that the statement could unintentionally legitimize a disputed boundary, the Qatari Foreign Ministry silently updated the statement, removing the word ‘border’ without issuing any public explanation.
These developments come as the Taliban administration, which currently controls large parts of Afghanistan, has yet to issue a clear stance on Qatar’s statement. The group’s silence has raised public questions about its approach to defending Afghanistan’s territorial integrity.
