Taliban can't discus border with Pakistan, says Kabul

Kabul has reacted sharply to the Taliban leaders' visit to Pakistan shortly after the group announced it will hold talks on refugees and border issues with the Pakistani authorities.

Taliban will never have the authority to discuss the border issues, considering the international laws, the Afghan presidential palace said in a statement.

It called on Pakistan to maintain its relations with the government of Afghanistan and respect the national sovereignty of the country.

According to the statement, the visit by Taliban delegation from Qatar to Pakistan was "vague" since the terror groups are not allowed to visit nations.

Noting the visit by the Afghan refugees minister to Pakistan last week, the statement said the government has continuously worked with Islamabad and international organisations to assess the situation of the refugees.

The statement also said only the government was authorised to discuss the border issues, and called the Taliban group a vanguard for those who were establishing military installations on this side of the Durand Line that demarcates the border between Afghnaistan and Pakistan.

--IANS

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