Pak–Afghan Border Dispute

01.11.2025

1. Pak–Afghan Border Dispute

Context
Tensions sharply escalated in 2025 between Pakistan and Afghanistan after Pakistan conducted cross-border airstrikes targeting Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in Afghan provinces along the Durand Line, followed by Afghan retaliatory fire. This revived one of South Asia’s oldest and most complex border disputes.​

About the News

What is the Durand Line?

• A 2,640 km-long boundary demarcated in 1893 between British India and Afghanistan by Sir Mortimer Durand and Emir Abdur Rahman Khan as an administrative border.
• It divided the Pashtun tribal heartland, splitting families, ethnic communities, and trade networks that previously had no borders.​

Origin of the Clash

• Though accepted initially under British pressure, Afghanistan never recognized the Durand Line as a permanent international boundary.
• After Pakistan’s creation in 1947, Afghanistan rejected the Line, claiming rights over Pashtun regions in Pakistan’s northwest.
• Afghanistan opposed Pakistan’s admission to the UN, beginning a prolonged diplomatic dispute.​

Historical Timeline

• 1947–61: Repeated diplomatic breakdowns over “Pashtunistan” demands.
• 1979–89: Soviet invasion made the border a Cold War battleground; Pakistan hosted Afghan refugees and mujahideen.
• 1990s: Taliban rise to power with Pakistani support increased Afghan suspicions.
• 2001–21: Post 9/11 mutual accusations of harboring terrorists—the Afghan Taliban in Pakistan and TTP in Afghanistan.
• 2017 onwards: Pakistan built a border fence, opposed by Kabul.
• 2025: Violent flare-up with Pakistan’s airstrikes on Afghan provinces and Afghan retaliation, escalating into cross-border skirmishes.​

Key Features of the Dispute

• The Durand Line divides Pashtun tribes, creating ethnic and cultural fault lines.
• Ongoing border skirmishes, refugee movements, and militant infiltration make the frontier volatile.
• Both countries accuse each other of supporting insurgents and militants, complicating peace prospects.
• The dispute symbolizes colonial legacy issues and mutual mistrust with no formal border agreement after 1947.​

Implications for India

• Weakening of Pakistan’s regional influence creates diplomatic space for India in Afghanistan and Central Asia.
• Instability threatens regional security, affecting India’s access routes via Chabahar Port and the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC).
• Increased risk of extremist spillover impacts India’s counterterrorism landscape.​

Recent Developments

• The 2025 conflict began after TTP militants attacked Pakistani forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, prompting Pakistan’s airstrikes targeting TTP leaders in Afghan provinces including Kabul and Paktika.
• Afghan forces retaliated with ground fire, causing casualties on both sides and forcing international mediation by Qatar and Turkey.
• A ceasefire agreement was reached in October 2025, extended with monitoring mechanisms to maintain peace, though underlying tensions persist.​

This ongoing conflict underscores the complex historical, ethnic, and geopolitical dimensions of the Durand Line dispute, with implications for South Asian security and stability.​