A Fraught Relationship: Navigating The Complex Dynamics Between Pakistan And Afghanistan

Afghanistan and Pakistan have had a strained relationship since Pakistan's independence in 1947. The two countries share a border, several ethnic groups, and a religion, but they have clashed over territorial disputes, the Taliban, and the Durand Line—a border established in 1893 that Afghanistan has never formally accepted. Pakistan has supported the Taliban, but the Taliban's rise to power in Afghanistan has complicated the relationship. Pakistan has blamed the Taliban for not doing enough to control the movement of armed groups across the border, and the Taliban has refuted these allegations. The countries have also accused each other of harbouring terrorists. The relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan is complex and tense, and it remains to be seen whether they can cooperate to achieve a prosperous and peaceful future.

The Taliban's refusal to recognise the Durand Line as the international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan

The Durand Line is a 2,640-kilometre border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, drawn by the British Empire in 1893. The border splits the Pashtun tribal areas, leaving villages, families, and land divided between the two "spheres of influence". The Durand Line has been described as a "line of hatred", with the British accused of purposefully dividing the Pashtuns to maintain control over them.

The Taliban, which is predominantly Pashtun, has refused to accept the legality of the Durand Line, arguing that it disrupts the Pashtun community's trade and free movement. The Taliban's stance has popular support domestically, but it is unlikely to be a sustainable strategy as the country is dependent on Pakistan for military, humanitarian, and government support.

Pakistan, on the other hand, argues that the Durand Line is a legal international border between the two states and has built a fence along the border. Pakistan likely hoped that a Taliban government in Kabul would accept the legitimacy of the Durand Line, but they were wrong. The Taliban has not only refused to accept the border's legality but has also attacked Pakistanis building the fence.

The dispute over the Durand Line continues to be a source of tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan and is a potential flashpoint in relations between the two countries.

Pakistan's support for the Taliban

• Ideological Interests: Pakistan was created as a Muslim nation, and Islam was meant to unite its diverse communities. However, the loss of Bengali-dominated territory (now Bangladesh) in 1971 made the Pakistani government paranoid about the western territories with large Pashtun populations. Pakistan established madrassas in these regions to promote a strict brand of Islam, and Taliban leaders were trained in these religious schools.
• Border Concerns: Pakistan has long been concerned about the border with Afghanistan, known as the Durand Line. Afghan governments have rejected this border, claiming the Pakistani Pashtun-dominated territories as part of "Pashtunistan," a traditional Pashtun homeland. Pakistan believes that the Taliban's ideology prioritises Islam over Pashtun identity, which could ease border concerns.
• Countering India: Pakistan accuses India of attempting to exploit its ethnic and linguistic divisions and seeks a Pakistan-friendly government in Afghanistan. A Taliban government could provide a haven for anti-India jihadi groups and help counter Indian influence.
• Historical Ties: Pakistan has a history of supporting the Taliban, dating back to the group's birth in the mid-1990s. The Pakistani intelligence agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), has provided critical support to the Taliban, including training, sanctuary, diplomatic advice, and assistance with fundraising.
• Strategic Advantage: Pakistan's support for the Taliban gives it leverage in Afghanistan and helps pursue its regional interests. It allows Pakistan to counter Indian influence and potentially gain a friendly government in Afghanistan.
• Containment of Pashtun Nationalism: By supporting the Taliban, Pakistan aims to contain Pashtun nationalism and prevent the emergence of a separate Pashtun state that could threaten its territorial integrity.

However, Pakistan's relationship with the Taliban is complex and has faced challenges. The Taliban has defied Pakistan by challenging the Afghan-Pakistan border status and providing haven to anti-Pakistan insurgent groups, such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Additionally, the Taliban's refusal to renounce support for the TTP has led to tensions and even military strikes by Pakistan within Afghanistan. Pakistan's influence with the Taliban may decrease as the Taliban attempts to build ties with other countries like China, Iran, and Russia.

Afghanistan's support for armed secessionist movements within Pakistan

Afghanistan and Pakistan have had a strained relationship since Pakistan's independence in 1947. Shortly after Pakistan's independence, Afghanistan supported the failed armed secessionist movement headed by Mirzali Khan against Pakistan. Afghanistan's immediate support for secessionist movements within Pakistan prevented normalised ties from emerging between the two states.

In 1952, the government of Afghanistan published a tract in which it laid claim not only to Pashtun territory within Pakistan but also to the Pakistani province of Balochistan. On 30 March 1955, a pro-Pashtunistan group attacked the embassy and the ambassador's residence, tearing down the Pakistani flag in protest against the unification of the Pashtun-dominated North-West Frontier Province into West Pakistan. The protestors were stirred up by the Afghan Prime Minister Mohammed Daoud Khan.

Diplomatic relations were cut off between 1961 and 1963 after Afghanistan supported more armed separatists in Pakistan, leading to skirmishes between the two states. Mohammed Daoud Khan became President of Afghanistan in 1973, and Afghanistan, with Soviet support, once again pursued a policy of arming Pashtun separatists within Pakistan.

In 2017, the Pakistani military accused Afghanistan of sheltering various terrorist groups that launch attacks into Pakistan. Afghanistan, in turn, has blamed Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, for funding warlords and the Taliban, and for basing terrorist camps within Pakistani territory to target Afghanistan.

The Durand Line, established by the British through the Durand Line Agreement with Afghanistan in 1893, marks the border between the two countries. While Pakistan accepts it as an established international boundary, Afghanistan has yet to officially acknowledge it as such. In Afghanistan, both Pashtun nationalists and groups identifying with political Islam refuse to officially recognise the border.

Afghan Pashtun nationalists and Islamists approach this identity clash in different ways. When Pashtun nationalists hold power, they publicly amplify the identity clash, engaging in diplomatic withdrawals, flag burnings, media campaigns, spy allegations, and occasional border skirmishes. Their narratives, steeped in Pashtun nationalist literature, idealise Greater Afghanistan based on the dismemberment of Pakistan, which is painted as the 'evil other', contrasting what Afghanistan stands for. Afghan Islamists, on the other hand, avoid using public discourse and actions that accentuate identity clashes with Pakistan when they hold power. This approach eases Pakistan's anxiety about its country's self-identity and fosters smoother interactions between Pakistani generals and the Islamists in managing the contentious Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship.

Pakistan has integrated a significant portion of its Pashtun population, especially in the settled districts, a phenomenon known as 'Pakistanisation'. This term denotes the integration of Pashtuns into Pakistan's state apparatus, including the civil bureaucracy, prominent political parties, and the military. This 'Pakistanisation' consequently results in Pakistani Pashtuns giving little regard to Afghanistan's self-declared assertions over Pakistani Pashtun territories.

In summary, Afghanistan's support for armed secessionist movements within Pakistan has been a significant source of tension between the two countries, contributing to their strained relationship since Pakistan's independence. Afghanistan's refusal to recognise the Durand Line as the international border and its pursuit of nationalist aspirations for a Greater Afghanistan, including Pakistani Pashtun areas, have been key factors in the ongoing conflict.

Pakistan's role in facilitating US drone strikes in Afghanistan

The US drone strikes in Pakistan began in 2004 under the Bush administration and increased substantially under President Barack Obama. These strikes were part of a semi-covert campaign to target Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces based in Northern Pakistan, with a particular focus on the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the Afghan border. The dispersal of suspected terrorists across Pakistan to escape drones had serious consequences for their new host populations. The drone strikes also had a radicalizing impact on public opinion in Pakistan, with politicians like Imran Khan using the attacks to fuel anti-Western sentiment, particularly among the youth.

The US justified its use of drones by arguing that they represented a more targeted and effective way of fighting insurgents while minimizing civilian casualties. However, there is significant debate about the number of civilians killed in these strikes, with some reports estimating that thousands of civilians have died. The strikes have also been criticized for their psychological impact on the local population, creating a culture of fear and terror.

The Pakistani government's complicity in facilitating US drone strikes while publicly condemning them has undermined the legitimacy of Pakistan's democratic institutions, which were already struggling to emerge from a history of dictatorship. The policy of drone strikes contradicts stated US goals of supporting democracy in Pakistan and has contributed to a perception of American hypocrisy.

Overall, Pakistan's role in facilitating US drone strikes in Afghanistan has been complex and controversial, with the country facing domestic and international criticism for its involvement while also attempting to balance its relationship with the US.

The Pashtunistan issue

The Durand Line was established in 1893 by Mortimer Durand of colonial British India and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan. It fixed the limit of their respective spheres of influence and left about half of the historical Pashtun territory under British colonial rule.

The Durand Line became the de-facto border between Afghanistan and the newly independent state of Pakistan following the partition of India in 1947. Afghanistan was the only country to vote against Pakistan's admission into the United Nations following its independence, as it did not give the Pashtun inhabitants the right to self-determination.

Afghanistan has never recognised the Durand Line as the international border between the two countries. Kabul's consistent refusal to accept the Durand Line as the international border remains a key driver of tensions, undermining trust and provoking enmity.

The Durand Line has been a source of conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with both sides engaging in a war of words and border skirmishes. The issue has also been raised by different Afghan regimes in the past, and it may no longer be a concern as Pashtuns are now well-integrated into Pakistani society.

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