Drawn by British diplomat Mortimer Durand in 1893, while Pakistan was still a part of the British Indian Empire, the Durand Line is the de facto border between Afghanistan and Pakistan and is a legacy of British colonial rule.
Notably, the split remains a problematic issue between the two countries to this day because Afghanistan has never recognized the Durand Line.
Strategic affairs analysts believe that the current rift along the Durand Line, or the Torkham border as such, is more closely related to the profound decline in connections between the Taliban and Pakistan.
Three civilians in Afghanistan were killed on Monday as a consequence of shooting between border guards of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Major crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Torkham is situated in the city of the same name in the northwest Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Furthermore, there are other reasons for the worsening circumstances.
The differences between the two sides have widened considerably as a result of the Taliban’s resistance to stopping the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) activities and Pakistan’s attempts to drive Afghan refugees from its territory.
To stop unrestricted movement across the border, Pakistan has insisted on maintaining its own version of the Durand Line and has finished building fencing alongside it.
It is important to realize that Pakistan’s plan to build a fence along the Durand Line is motivated by both security concerns and a desire to stop unauthorized migration or movement from the Afghan side.
Pakistan and Afghanistan’s relationship has remained tense in the interim. The current state of affairs is a far cry from the joy that accompanied the US withdrawal in August 2021. The tension is too great for the two parties to work together to settle a long-standing dispute that, more significantly, involves highly sensitive issues of territory and control.
Major crossing point between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Torkham is situated in the city of the same name in the northwest Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The disputed definition of the border that each nation holds is the foundation of the conflictual matrix surrounding the Torkham border.
There is continuity in terms of ethnicity, culture, and identity along the Durand Line, which runs across the Pashtun region in both nations. Interestingly, the Pashtunistan movement is also built on the similarities between the two sides of the Durand Line.
The Pashtuns in the consolidated FATA territory of Pakistan and their bretren in Afghanistan are the two groups affected by the border dispute. Both these groups have extended families on the other side of the Durand Line.
Also Read: How does the political crisis in Bangladesh affect India?
The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has strong links to the Taliban rulers of Afghanistan and gets safe havens in Afghan territory along with weapons and ammunition to carry out militant activities in Pakistan.
These militants breach the border barrier and engage the Pakistan Army and other Pakistani security forces with the help of cover fire by the Afghan Taliban. They can penetrate the area and make their way to their prearranged safe havens in Khyber Agency, Bajaur, and South and North Waziristan thanks to this method.
