Why in the news?

  • Conflict has flared once again between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed that Pakistan carried out air strikes inside its territory, killing 10 peo ple near the Durand Line

Durand Line

  • What is it?: The Durand Line is the international land border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, stretching 2,640 km (≈1,600 miles).
  • Area Covering: Extends from the Iran–Afghanistan–Pakistan tri-junction in the west to the Pakistan–Afghanistan–China tri-junction in the east.
  • Historical Backing
    • Durand Agreement (1893)
      • Defined the boundary and Afghanistan’s acceptance of British Indian authority across tribal belts.
      • Demarcated by Sir Henry Mortimer Durand (Foreign Secretary, British India) and Emir Abdur Rahman Khan (Afghanistan)
      • Purpose: To demarcate spheres of influence between British India and Afghanistan and to serve as a buffer as a buffer line amid the “Great Game” rivalry between Britain and Russia.
    • Anglo-Afghan Treaty (1919)
      • After the Third Anglo-Afghan War, the treaty reaffirmed:
        • Afghanistan’s independence
        • Acceptance of all previous agreements including the Durand Line
      • Pakistan considers the treaty inheritance binding under state succession.
    • Post-1947
      • After partition, the Durand Line became the Afghanistan–Pakistan border.
      • Afghanistan voted against Pakistan’s UN membership in 1947, citing objections to the border.
    • Contemporary Position
      • Pakistan: Considers it the legal international border.
      • Afghanistan: Successive governments (except during Taliban rule at times) have not recognized it officially.
  • Physical Geography
    • Rugged Topography with ranges like Hindu Kush, Karakoram Range, Spin Ghar mountains.
    • Pass in the  region is  Khyber Pass
  • Security Concern
    • Cross-border militancy
    • Smuggling and illegal migration
    • Presence of terror groups in border regions
  • Strategic Importance
    • Acts as a strategic buffer zone between South Asia and Central Asia.
    • India–Pakistan–Afghanistan strategic triangle
    • Trade routes (Khyber Pass, Chaman)
    • China’s western connectivity (Wakhan Corridor proximity)

Source: The Hindu