Part 5/14:
Complicating security issues is the ambiguous status of the Durand Line—the colonial-era border not officially recognized by the Taliban. Ethnic Pashtuns, the largest group in both countries, live on both sides of this border, making its enforcement politically sensitive. Afghanistan regards the Durand Line as a colonial contrivance meant to divide their people and refuses to acknowledge it as an international boundary. This historical grievance feeds into present conflicts, allowing militant groups to exploit borderland grievances and fueling distrust between the two nations.