August 26, 2003	Tuesday	Jumadi-us-Sani 27, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 25: Two Afghan-based websites have posted maps showing a large number of Pakistani cities, including Peshawar and Quetta, as part of Afghanistan, claiming that the Durand Line no longer exists between the two countries and Pashtun-populated areas of Pakistan are actually Afghan territory.

A website (afghanistans.com) has posted a map showing Pashtunistan as a territory separating Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to the map, Pashtunistan comprises the whole of Balochistan province and a part of the NWFP and Federally- Administered Tribal Areas (Fata).

Similarly, another website (afghanland.com) shows a map of ‘greater Afghanistan’ with several Pakistani cities in it. The map has mentioned Gwadar port as Baloch city and a part of Afghanistan.

These websites have been launched by various civil society organizations in an effort to highlight the Durand Line issue.

The websites provide full history of Afghanistan starting from 50,000BC (stone age) till todate and claim that the Durand Line was demarcated by the British as a result of a treaty in 1893 with Afghan ruler Amir Abdur Rehman Khan and it (the treaty) was to stay in force for a period of 100 years.

According to the websites, Kabul never accepted the Durand Line or the fact that the NWFP is part of Pakistan.

“Until this day, the disputed land which rightfully and legally belongs to Afghanistan, is still recognized as the NWFP. Every other province in Pakistan is named by the ethnic group that resides there, such as Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. But the ethnic Afghans that are forced under the sovereignty of Pakistan must accept the degrading name of NWFP.”

Lately, Afghanistan has been accusing Pakistan of violating Afghan territory which had led to anti-Pakistan riots in Kabul and other Afghan cities. Pakistani officials have reportedly claimed that Afghanistan based its claims of Pakistani intrusions on the basis of Soviet military maps, while Pakistan was using maps drawn by the British when the territory of today’s Pakistan was still part of the Indian empire.

When contacted, the Afghan embassy in Islamabad said the websites had nothing to do with the government.