Mahmood Khan Achakzai

Amu: Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a prominent Pakistani opposition leader, has called on Pashtuns in Pakistan to obtain Afghan identity cards, a proposal that has drawn criticism from Afghan politicians and former officials. Achakzai, leader of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and a senior opposition figure in Pakistan, argued that because millions of Pakistanis hold dual citizenship with countries such as Canada and Italy, Pashtuns should also be able to obtain Afghan identification documents. “Every Pashtun should obtain an Afghan identity card and openly show people that he has one,” Achakzai said in remarks shared on social media. He also claimed that the fencing along the Durand Line had been installed at the direction of the United States. The comments quickly prompted responses from political figures, many of whom rejected the idea that Afghan citizenship or identity documents should be linked to ethnicity. Click here to read more (external link).