DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/2524-048X.2026.33.7

 

Abstract. The purpose of the article is to trace the historical transformation of the Durand Line issue: from its origins as a colonial delimitation to an acute crisis between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It also analyzes the line’s decisive influence on the geopolitical vectors of both states and regional security within the context of the transborder mobility of Pashtun tribes. The relevance of the study is driven by the protracted and unresolved nature of the confrontation, which continues to this day and directly impacts stability in South and Central Asia.

The research methodology. The methodological basis of the article is founded on the principles of historicism, systematic analysis, and scientific objectivity. Historical-comparative, chronological, and structural-functional methods were applied to analyze international treaties and specialized literature. The scientific novelty of this research lies in its attempt at a comprehensive analysis of the historical transformation of the Durand Line issue. This allows for the identification and evaluation of the relationship between Afghanistan’s ethnonationalist irredentist ideology and Pakistan’s concept of «strategic depth», while demonstrating how transborder Pashtun mobility was utilized and influenced the security policies of both states across different historical periods.

Conclusions. The article traces how the Durand Line (1893), emerging within the framework of the «Great Game», was fundamentally compromised by the disregard for the ethnographic distribution of the Pashtun people. It is established that after Pakistan’s independence in 1947, the border issue became existential for both states: Pakistan’s ideology of Pan-Islamism (unification based on religion) clashed with Afghan ethnocentric irredentism (the right of Pashtuns to self-determination). It is shown that in response to Pakistan’s economic blockade and the «One-Unit» policy, Afghanistan officially refused to recognize the border (the 1949 Loya Jirga decision) and was forced into a rapprochement with the USSR, which defined its geopolitical vector in the 1950s and 1960s. The analysis reveals that the 1979 Soviet invasion turned the Durand Line into a «transparent» frontier, which Pakistan deliberately used as a staging ground for training the Mujahideen. It was found that despite critical financial and military dependence, all political regimes in Afghanistan categorically refused to legitimize the Durand Line. The study emphasizes that the policy of border «transparency», while intended to ensure a loyal Kabul, led to side effects for Pakistan–the spread of radicalism and the erosion of sovereignty in border areas. It is highlighted that during the «American period» (2001–2021), tensions escalated due to Pakistan’s unilateral border fencing project. The study concludes that the Durand Line remains an «open wound» of regional politics, symbolizing the clash between historical memory, Pashtun ethnic unity, and Pakistan’s security interests.

Keywords: Great Britain, Afghanistan, Pakistan, international relations, colonialism, regional conflicts, Durand Line.

Submitted 17.10.2025

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