The Shifting Sands Of Border Diplomacy: Afghanistan's Complex Border Relations

Afghanistan shares its borders with six countries: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, China, and Iran. The Durand Line, which divides Afghanistan and Pakistan, is often recognised as one of the most dangerous borders in the world. The Durand Line has been the source of much conflict between the two countries, as Afghanistan has never recognised it as an international border. The border between Afghanistan and China is also notable for its time zone difference—the largest on land in the world.

The Durand Line: This 1,510-mile-long border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is often recognised as one of the most dangerous borders in the world.

The Durand Line is a 1,510-mile-long border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, widely recognised as one of the most dangerous borders in the world. The border was established in 1893 as the boundary between the Emirate of Afghanistan and the Indian Empire. The agreement was signed by Mortimer Durand, a British diplomat, and Abdur Rahman Khan, the Emir of Afghanistan, to improve diplomatic relations and trade. The Durand Line also served to fix the limit of their respective spheres of influence.

The Durand Line cuts through the Pashtun homelands of the region, dividing ethnic Pashtuns and Balochs who live on both sides of the border. The border splits the Pashtuns into two separate countries, with Afghanistan governing all the Pashtuns on one side, and Pakistan governing those on the other. This has been a source of tension, as the Pashtuns on the Pakistani side made up more than half of the Pashtun population, and they were now under the control of the Punjabis, causing anger and resentment.

The Durand Line has been the site of frequent conflict between the Pakistani army, made up mostly of Punjabis, and the Taliban, composed predominantly of Pashtuns. The Afghan government encourages the Pashtun people inside Pakistan to have their own separate state, and there is growing support for a separate country called Pashtunistan. The Durand Line passes through several Pakistani provinces and includes 10 Afghan provinces.

The border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan has long been one of the most dangerous places globally, with very little government control. Weapons, narcotics, and other goods are frequently smuggled across the border, and kidnappings and murders are common. Militants from both sides often cross the border to conduct attacks. The ongoing conflict in the Waziristan region, on the Pakistani side of the Durand Line, has become a hub for drug trafficking, kidnapping, and lawlessness. The construction of a fence at the border by Pakistan, beginning in 2017, further escalated tensions and hostilities.

Afghanistan-China Border: The shortest border in Afghanistan, located in the northeast, is shared with China.

Afghanistan and China share a border in the Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of land in northeastern Afghanistan that acts as a buffer between Tajikistan and Pakistan. The Afghanistan-China border spans 92 kilometres (57 miles) or 46 miles according to another source, and is located high in the Pamir Mountains, with most of the border running 5,000 meters above sea level. The border marks the greatest terrestrial time zone difference globally, with a 3.5-hour difference between Afghanistan's UTC+4:30 and China's UTC+08:00.

The border was established in an agreement between the British and Russians in 1895 as part of the Great Game, with the Kingdom of Afghanistan and the People's Republic of China finally agreeing on the border in 1963. The border begins at the tripoint of both countries with Pakistan's federally administered territory of Gilgit-Baltistan and ends at the tripoint with Tajikistan. The border is crossed by several mountain passes, including the Wakhjir Pass in the south and the Tegermansu Pass in the north. The Wakhjir Pass is the only usable access point between the two countries and has been used as a trading route for centuries, including being a part of the Silk Road. The pass is also believed to be used for drug smuggling, with opium produced in Afghanistan transported to China.

Both sides of the border are protected areas: Wakhan National Park in Wakhan District, Badakhshan Province, on the Afghan side, and Taxkorgan Nature Reserve in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on the Chinese side. The border region is mostly inhabited by farmers and is home to some of the poorest communities in their respective countries.

Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Border: The border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan is often cited as the second most heavily guarded border in the world.

The border between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan is 144 km (89 mi) long and runs from the tripoint with Turkmenistan to the tripoint with Tajikistan along the Amu River. The city of Termez in Uzbekistan and the town of Hairatan in Afghanistan are the closest major population centres to the border.

The border is often cited as the second most heavily guarded in the world. In 2001, it was reported that Uzbekistan had built a barrier along the border consisting of a barbed wire fence and a second, taller, 380-volt electrified barbed-wire fence, land mines, and a patrol of heavily armed Uzbek soldiers. This border defence system was likely a response to the fall of the Soviet Union and the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

The border is the site of a significant volume of trade between the two countries. Citizens of Afghanistan can enter Termez and stay for up to 10 days without a visa. The border crossing process can be lengthy, taking up to three hours, and those crossing are advised to go early in the morning. The border opens at 8:00 am.

In recent years, the border has also been a site of refuge for those fleeing the Taliban. In 2021, Uzbekistan accepted about 400 refugees from Afghanistan and accommodated them in temporary housing near the border. In mid-2021, when the province of Balkh fell to the Taliban, a number of Afghan military personnel and civilians crossed the border into Uzbekistan.

Afghanistan-Turkmenistan Border: The border between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan is considered dangerous due to heavy drug smuggling activity.

Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Central Asia that shares its borders with six countries: Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, China, and Iran. The border between Afghanistan and its northwestern neighbour, Turkmenistan, is approximately 462 miles long and is characterised by a flat landscape that continues into the latter country, eventually transforming into the Karakum Desert.

The Afghanistan-Turkmenistan border is considered dangerous due to heavy drug smuggling activity. Heroin and opium produced in Afghanistan are smuggled through this border, often on their way to Russia and Western Europe. Turkmenistan's location makes it an attractive transit point for drug traffickers, as it is sandwiched between the western route of Afghan opiates travelling through Iran and the northern route of opiates travelling through Central Asia. The United Nations estimates that 53% of all opiates trafficked out of Afghanistan are carried through the eastern route.

The Turkmenistan city of Mary lies on a major drug smuggling route between Afghanistan and Europe. In addition, the country may produce significant quantities of opium, although it does not report any illicit cultivation of opium poppy or production facilities. The CIA World Factbook identifies Turkmenistan as a "transit country for Afghan narcotics bound for Russian and Western European markets" and a "transit point for heroin precursor chemicals bound for Afghanistan."

The Afghanistan-Turkmenistan border itself is mostly desert and sparsely populated, making it easier for border officers to monitor trafficking activity. However, Afghan traffickers rely on corruption, and several Afghan border police officials have been convicted of facilitating trafficking into Turkmenistan. The issue of drug corruption has also been acknowledged by the President of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, who called for immediate action against this threat.

Drug crossings at the border can turn violent, with shootings taking place between Turkmen border officials and drug traffickers. In September 2008, a gun battle in the Turkmen capital of Ashgabat resulted in the deaths of several Turkmen police officers. While Turkmenistan has made some considerable drug seizures, the lack of cooperation and information sharing between the two countries hinders effective counter-narcotics operations.

Afghanistan-Iran Border: The border between Iran and Afghanistan has been the site of significant political turmoil, which has led to violence in this region

The Afghanistan-Iran border has been the site of significant political turmoil, which has led to violence in the region. The border traverses a generally arid, inhospitable region with few inhabitants, except in the Zabol-Zaranj area where the main border crossing is located. The border is approximately 572 miles long and runs from the tripoint with Turkmenistan in the north to the tripoint with Pakistan in the south.

The border between Persia and Afghanistan was formalised in the period 1872–1935 by a series of third-party arbitrations, stemming from the Treaty of Paris (1857) in which Persia and Afghanistan agreed to refer any dispute between them to Britain for arbitration. A series of skirmishes between Afghanistan and Persia in the 1860s prompted Persian king Naser al-Din Shah Qajar to request that the British formalise the Afghan-Persia boundary. A rough delimitation was proposed in 1872 by a committee headed by Sir Frederic John Goldsmid, following a line from Banda to Kuh-i-Malik Siah via the Helmand River. Both parties eventually accepted this proposal, but it was not implemented further at that time.

The Goldsmid boundary proved inadequate, and a more precise boundary was drawn up in three sections over the following decades: the northern section by General C.S. MacLean in 1888–91, the southern section by Colonel Sir Henry McMahon in 1903–05, and the middle section by Turkey’s General Fahrettin Altay in 1934–35. After each demarcation, boundary pillars were erected, leading to a total of 172 pillars in the non-riverine sections of the border.

While the boundary itself was not disputed after 1935, disputes over the allocation of water resources in the region continued for many years and were not finally resolved until 1973. Since then, Iran and Afghanistan have been bound by the Helmand River, which flows from the foothills of the Hindu Kush mountain range and feeds into wetlands along the country’s border. The river is a critical source of drinking water, as well as agriculture and fishing, in southern Afghanistan and southeastern Iran.

In recent years, disputes over water rights have escalated tensions between the two countries. In May 2023, deadly clashes broke out between Afghan and Iranian guards at their border, raising fears of a new conflict. At least two Iranian border guards and one Taliban fighter were killed, with several others injured on both sides. The violence came as Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi accused Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers of restricting the flow of water to Iran’s eastern regions in violation of the 1973 treaty. While the Taliban denied the accusation, Iranian authorities closed the Milak-Zaranj border post—a major commercial crossing—until further notice.

Frequently asked questions