Tensions along the Durand Line, the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, have escalated into near-war conditions. After Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorists killed 16 Pakistani soldiers, the Pakistani Air Force carried out airstrikes at four locations in Afghanistan’s Paktika and Khost provinces, killing 50 individuals. Pakistan claimed these were TTP militants who had gathered there. In retaliation, Taliban fighters launched intense attacks on Pakistani military outposts near the Durand Line, claiming to have killed 19 Pakistani soldiers and captured two outposts. The Taliban also reiterated that they do not recognize the Durand Line as a legitimate border.
Pakistan, in turn, stated that its counterattacks killed at least eight Afghan individuals. This latest confrontation has reignited the longstanding debate over the Durand Line, originally drawn during British rule.
The clashes between Pakistani forces and the Taliban continued until late Saturday night. Although the fighting has subsided, tensions remain high. Thousands of Afghan civilians have been displaced from border areas. In a statement, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense referred to the Durand Line as an “imaginary line” and avoided naming it explicitly. The ministry claimed that the December 28 attack targeted areas used to launch strikes on Afghan territory and added that Afghan forces had burned down several Pakistani military posts.
The Taliban says Durand Line not a legitimate border
The Pakistani military has acknowledged clashes in several areas but has only confirmed the death of one soldier. The Durand Line, drawn during British rule, has been a contentious issue between Pakistan and Afghanistan for decades. Afghan governments have consistently rejected this boundary, dismissing it as an imaginary line.
When repeatedly questioned about whether the Taliban’s statement was directed at Pakistan, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense stated that they do not consider the area to be Pakistani territory, reiterating that it is merely a fictional boundary.
Since Pakistan’s formation in 1947, Afghanistan has refused to acknowledge the Durand Line as an official border. Successive Afghan administrations, from Hamid Karzai’s government to the current Taliban regime, have maintained this stance. The Taliban even considers Pakistan’s city of Peshawar as part of its territory. After the Taliban assumed power in 2021, Pakistan had hoped to gain their acceptance of the border, but this has not materialized. The Durand Line has been a flashpoint for numerous clashes, particularly over Pakistan’s efforts to erect fences along the border.
The Durand Line dates back to the colonial era
It was drawn in 1893 as a border between British India and the Emirate of Afghanistan. Named after Sir Henry Mortimer Durand, who was the Foreign Secretary during colonial times, the line has remained a point of contention. The Taliban’s Ministry of Defense has once again made it clear that they do not recognize the Durand Line, ensuring continued tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Taliban has also accused Pakistan of harboring ISKP terrorists, who are considered their staunch enemies.
During the British era, Afghanistan was a focal point of the Great Game, as the British sought to make it a buffer state to keep the Soviet Union at bay. The British launched two invasions into Afghanistan to expand their influence. In one instance, Pashtun tribes defeated the British forces, while in 1878, the British army emerged victorious and installed a new emir, Abdur Rahman Khan. In 1893, Khan agreed to Sir Henry Mortimer Durand’s proposal for an international boundary. However, the Afghan people never accepted this border.
The Durand Line spans approximately 2,600 kilometers and cuts through the heart of Pashtun territory.
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