Pakistan–Afghanistan Border

Recent clashes have resurfaced along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border, with the Taliban accusing Pakistan of air strikes near the Durand Line, highlighting longstanding tensions in the region.

Historical Origin of the Durand Line

• The Durand Line was drawn in 1893 between British India and Afghanistan.

• Negotiated by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, then Foreign Secretary of British India, and Emir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan.

• The border stretches 2,600 km, from the Iranian border in the west to the China border in the east, cutting across the Karakoram range and the Registan desert.

• Its creation split Pashtun tribal areas, placed Balochistan under British India, and established the Wakhan Corridor as a buffer between Russia and Britain.

Role in the Anglo-Afghan Wars

• Afghanistan became strategically important in the 1800s, as Russia and Britain competed for influence in Central Asia.

• First Anglo-Afghan War (1839–1842): Britain invaded but was repelled.

• Second Anglo-Afghan War (1878–1880): Britain invaded again, secured the Treaty of Gandamak (1879), gaining control over Afghanistan’s foreign policy.

• Durand Line Agreement (1893): Formalized the border with the splitting of tribal regions.

• Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919): Ended with the Treaty of Rawalpindi, restoring Afghanistan’s control over foreign affairs while reaffirming the Durand Line.

Post-1947 Inheritance

• After Partition, Pakistan inherited the Durand Line as its western border.

• Afghanistan refused to recognize it, labeling it a colonial imposition.

Pashtunistan Issue

• Pashtun groups on both sides of the border demanded a separate Pashtunistan, creating a persistent source of bilateral tension.

Taliban Position

• The Taliban, along with previous Afghan governments, reject the legitimacy of the Durand Line.

• They continue to press claims over Pashtun regions on the Pakistani side of the border.