Afghan Analysts and Former Officials Reject Pakistani Researcher’s Claims on Afghanistan’s Territorial Integrity

Afghan analyst Karim Khurram and former Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta have publicly rejected remarks by Pakistani researcher Maria Sultan suggesting that Afghanistan’s geography and national identity face potential disappearance. Khurram characterized the statements as propaganda and accused Islamabad of exerting political and cultural pressure against Afghanistan.

Sultan, who heads the South Asia Strategic Stability Institute, recently stated that Afghanistan could lose its current territorial form amid shifting regional dynamics. In response, Khurram took to social media to assert that Pakistan has historically appropriated Afghan cultural heritage and alleged that Sultan’s comments align with the objectives of Pakistan’s intelligence apparatus. He further noted that such campaigns have intensified following the onset of the Iran conflict.

Former Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta also addressed the issue, emphasizing that past attempts to fragment Afghanistan have consistently failed. He stated that the country has preserved its territorial integrity despite decades of foreign intervention. Meanwhile, Asif Durrani, a former Pakistani representative to Afghanistan, commented on the broader diplomatic context, asserting that Afghanistan’s political future should be determined solely by its own people without external interference.

The exchange highlights ongoing diplomatic and rhetorical tensions between Afghan and Pakistani figures regarding regional security narratives and historical sovereignty claims.