No more fencing allowed on Durand Line, says Taliban

Kabul, Jan 6: The Taliban-led government in Kabul said it will not allow any more fencing on the Durand Line that forms the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, the media reported. "We will not allow the fencing anytime, in any form. Whatever they did before, they did, but we will not allow it anymore. There will be no fencing anymore," Mawllawi Sanaullah Sangin, commander of the border forces for the eastern zone, told TOLO News on Wednesday.

Sangin's remarks were in response to Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's statement that the issue of the Durand Line fencing would be discussed via diplomatic channels.

The Taliban is building over 30 outposts to prevent the movement of the Pakistani military alongside the Durand Line.

Commander Sanaullah Sangin also claimed that the Pakistan military has been launching attacks on Kunar province for a long time and the Afghan side would take similar actions from now on.

"You have seen some days ago that they (Pakistani military) fired some mortars. In response, we fired 32 mortar rounds," he said.

Residents of Kunar called on the Taliban to prevent fencing along the line, TOLO News reported.

"The fencing constructed by Pakistan has separated our brothers, relatives and tribes," said Mattiullah Momand, a resident.