Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Tensions Flare as Istanbul Talks Resume Over Durand Line Dispute

New Delhi: Diplomatic efforts to solidify a shaky ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan restart in Turkey, amid lingering disputes over the contested Durand Line frontier that sparked lethal skirmishes last month.

The Taliban-led government in Kabul, echoing past Afghan regimes, refuses to acknowledge the 2,640-kilometre (1,640-mile) boundary as legitimate, branding it an “artificial” colonial imposition. Pakistan, in contrast, insists the line enjoys global recognition as an official international border.

Drawn in 1893 by British colonial officer Sir Mortimer Durand in consultation with Afghanistan’s then-ruler, the rugged demarcation slices through Pashtun tribal lands—severing families and denying landlocked Afghanistan direct ocean access while running from Iran’s edge to China’s frontier.

Islamabad has fortified nearly the entire length with fencing and trenches, a policy repeatedly denounced by Kabul as provocative. The barrier remains permeable, with homes and pathways straddling the divide and countless informal crossings in daily use.

Trade arteries have suffered heavily: Pakistan serves as Afghanistan’s top commercial partner, yet border shutdowns since October 12 have cost an estimated $50 million, according to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Chamber of Commerce. Only returning Afghan nationals are presently permitted to pass.

Also Read: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visits Assam, sparks development hopes

Six formal gateways exist, but most traffic—including vital fruit and vegetable shipments—relies on unregulated paths. Millions of Afghans have resided in Pakistan for generations, often undocumented; the United Nations reports roughly 500,000 have been repatriated this year alone, many under duress.

Security anxieties have escalated since the Taliban reclaimed Kabul in 2021. Pakistan alleges Afghan territory harbours Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants who stage cross-border assaults. Islamabad launched airstrikes on eastern Paktika province in December 2024, claiming to target “terror sanctuaries” and reporting nearly 50 fatalities.

Also Read: Student Group and Local Leaders Demand Probe into Police Tear Gas Use at Meghalaya Truckers' Protest

Kabul categorically rejects accusations of sheltering insurgents and dismisses the Durand Line as a relic of empire. Taliban Defence Minister Mohammed Yaqub publicly rebuked Qatar’s October 19 truce statement for referencing a “border,” declaring it would “never” be recognised as such.

Violence erupted in October after explosions rocked Kabul, triggering Afghan artillery fire across the line. The ensuing clashes claimed over 70 lives and injured hundreds. A Turkey- and Qatar-mediated ceasefire has largely endured, but last week’s Istanbul negotiations collapsed without a durable pact.

Both governments have cautioned that stalled diplomacy risks fresh hostilities as delegates reconvene Thursday.