why the Durand Line issue was not addressed during Afghanistan’s 2004 Constitutional Loya Jirga.
He emphasized that this grand assembly had both domestic and international legitimacy and could have been an ideal opportunity to resolve or formally document the territorial dispute with Pakistan in the constitution.
Saleh, who was not a member of that assembly, asked why nobody raised the Durand Line issue when Afghanistan was at the center of global attention and discussing this matter could have been advantageous for Afghanistan.
He noted that while the territorial integrity of Afghanistan was mentioned in the assembly, there was no specific reference to the Durand Line dispute.
The Afghan politician suggested that this critical issue should be included in the agenda of the next constitutional assembly.
He also questioned whether it would have been possible to include in the constitution that “Afghanistan’s current geography is incomplete and the Durand Line dispute must be resolved” – an issue he considers extremely important for Afghanistan’s political and territorial future.
