Durand Line Dispute: The Frontier at Heart of Afghan-Pak Tensions as Peace Talks to Resume

Asianet News English

Explore the complex and volatile border dispute between Afghanistan and Pakistan centered around the Durand Line. Understand why the Taliban administration rejects the Durand Line as ‘imaginary’ while Pakistan calls it an internationally recognized border. Find out about the porous frontier, the millions crossing daily, and the high-stakes clashes that have escalated in 2025. Stay informed on this critical flashpoint impacting regional security and diplomacy.

Transcript

00:00The border between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been a flashpoint during confrontations

00:08between the South Asian neighbors, most recently during deadly clashes in October 2025. The

00:16Taliban administration, like previous Afghan governments, does not recognize the border

00:21known as the Durand Line, describing it as imaginary. However, Islamabad maintains that

00:28the frontier demarcation is recognized internationally.

00:38The Durand Line is named after British diplomat Sir Mortimer Durand, who drew the boundary in

00:44the late 19th century with the agreement of Afghan authorities of the day. Stretching more

00:50than 2,600 kilometers across mountainous terrain, from Iran in the southwest to China in the northeast,

00:57it divides Pashtun communities, the ethnic group from which the Taliban largely draws its

01:03support, and cuts off Afghanistan from the sea. The border is highly porous, with some buildings

01:09straddling both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Islamabad has built trenches and fenced most of the border,

01:16the border, a move Kabul has repeatedly condemned.

01:27Millions of Afghans have lived in Pakistan for decades, many without documentation. Large numbers

01:33have been expelled or forced to return in recent years. Around 500,000 Afghans have returned from

01:40Pakistan in 2025 alone, according to the United Nations. Six official crossing points exist,

01:48but many use informal roads. The border is also a vital commerce artery. Pakistan is Afghanistan's

01:55largest trading partner, and trucks routinely carry goods such as fruit and vegetables across. The

02:01Afghanistan-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce estimates losses at around 50 million dollars since the

02:08border's closure on October 12th. Only Afghan migrants returning from Pakistan are currently allowed to cross.

02:15security concerns have intensified since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Pakistani airstrikes

02:30in Afghanistan's eastern Paktika province in December 2024, targeting what Islamabad described as

02:38terrorist hideouts, reportedly killed nearly 50 people. Pakistan accuses Kabul of sheltering

02:45armed groups, especially the Pakistani Taliban, that launch attacks from Afghan soil. The Afghan

02:51Taliban denies harboring such groups and rejects the border itself, calling it a colonial relic.

02:58Taliban defense minister Mohammad Yaqub objected when Qatar referred to the border in its October 19

03:05ceasefire announcement, which Afghan officials linked to the Durand line. Yaqub told a news conference it

03:12will never be called a border. The October clashes, which began with explosions in Kabul and prompted a

03:26retaliatory border response from Afghanistan, killed more than 70 people and wounded hundreds in the ensuing

03:33violence. A ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Qatar has largely held, but negotiations in Istanbul last week

03:41failed to produce a lasting agreement. Talks are going to resume, but both sides have warned that failure to

03:47reach a deal could lead to renewed fighting.

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