In the Shadow of the Durand Line: Security, Stability, and the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan

The Durand Line Pakistan-Afghanistan border gained international attention during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Currently, the Afghanistan governments refusal to acknowledge the Durand Line as its official border with Pakistan has serious implications in relation to the Global War on Terrorism GWOT, especially in Pakistans Federally Administered Tribal Areas FATA. The atmosphere of misunderstanding and mistrust in relation to the border between the two neighbors has lasted six decades and casts a shadow over any effort to achieve security and stability in the region. The Pakistan governments weak hold over FATA and Baluchistan has allowed extremist groups, such as Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, a safe haven in which to establish bases and training camps, seek refuge, and conduct cross-border attacks into Afghanistan. This thesis examines the history and contemporary significance of the Durand Line. It argues that a key imperative of future operations in the region is the need for the governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan to come to an agreement that delineates the official border currently the Durand Line between the two nation-states. Until there is a border that is recognized by all concerned, their ability to cooperate with each other and their allies in dealing with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and a range of other issues remains profoundly constrained. The future of Afghanistan and Pakistan is dependent on this unresolved border issue that has hung over both countries since Pakistan was carved out of British India in 1947.