The Taliban regime has ignited a diplomatic firestorm by releasing a map titled ‘Greater Afghanistan,’ which claims substantial Pakistani territories, including key parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Pashtun regions. This bold move challenges the legitimacy of the Durand Line, the de facto border that has been a constant source of contention and armed skirmishes between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Generations of Afghan leaders, including the current Taliban government, have refused to acknowledge the Durand Line, established by British India in 1893. They view it as an arbitrary division of Pashtun lands. The ‘Greater Afghanistan’ map, presented to Taliban Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Nabi Omari in Khost, visually dismisses the Durand Line, instead showing these Pakistani areas as part of an expanded Afghanistan. Omari reportedly stated that Kabul would meet any future conflict with Pakistan with formidable resistance.
The tension escalated further with threatening verses recited at a Taliban military parade, proclaiming, “We will raise our white flag in Lahore — and burn Islamabad.” This inflammatory rhetoric, amplified by the provocative map, signals a hardening of Taliban policy towards Pakistan and raises fears of increased instability and cross-border disturbances, potentially impacting Pakistan’s tribal areas.
