Maarg Manthan · Topic 19.3

Durand Line (Pakistan-Afghanistan Boundary)

International Relations & Places in News › International Boundary Lines and Demarcations · Topic 19.3

The Durand Line is the boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, about 2,640 kilometres long, which runs from the border with Iran in the south-west to the border with China in the north-east. It is named after Sir Mortimer Durand, the Foreign Secretary of British India, who agreed it with the Afghan ruler Amir Abdur Rahman Khan in a treaty signed at Kabul on 12 November 1893. The line marked the limit of British and Afghan spheres of influence, but it cut through Pashtun and Baloch areas. Pakistan inherited it at independence in 1947 and treats it as the international border. Afghanistan has never accepted it as a permanent international boundary, including under the Taliban Government since 2021.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · International Relations · International Boundary Lines and Demarcations

At a Glance

Agreed 12 November 1893, Kabul
Parties Mortimer Durand and Abdur Rahman Khan
Length About 2,640 km
Divides Pashtun and Baloch lands
Status Pakistan accepts; Afghanistan does not
Exam link UPSC Prelims, International Relations: International Boundary Lines and Demarcations

Where Does It Fit?

This is the third topic of the macro on international boundary lines and demarcations. It sets out the origin of the Afghanistan-Pakistan boundary, and the next topics in the macro continue with other lines. Previous topic: Radcliffe Line (India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh Boundary). Next topic: 38th Parallel (North Korea-South Korea Boundary).

How Did the Line Come About?

Great Game: in the late nineteenth century Britain and Russia competed for influence in Central Asia, and Britain wanted a buffer state in Afghanistan.
1893 agreement: Durand and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan agreed on the limit of their spheres of influence, and Afghanistan gave up claims over areas on the Indian side in return for a subsidy and arms.
Survey: the line was marked on the ground in stages between 1894 and 1896, and it separated Pashtun tribes into British India and Afghanistan.
Later treaties: Afghanistan accepted the line again in the Treaty of Rawalpindi of 1919, which ended the Third Anglo-Afghan War and recognised Afghan independence, and in a treaty of 1921.
Wakhan Corridor: a narrow strip of Afghan territory, extending to China, was created in the same period as a buffer between British and Russian territories.

What Is the Present Position?

Aspect	Detail
Pakistan’s position	Pakistan considers the Durand Line a settled international border inherited from British India, and has fenced most of it since 2017
Afghanistan’s position	Successive Afghan governments, including the Taliban, refuse to recognise it as an international boundary. Afghanistan voted against Pakistan’s UN membership in 1947 on this issue
Pashtunistan	Afghan leaders in the 1950s and 1960s raised the idea of Pashtunistan, an area for Pashtuns on the Pakistani side
Fence	Pakistan built a fence along the border, of about 2,600 km, and has set up border posts, which Afghans oppose because it divides communities
Crossings	Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Chaman-Spin Boldak in Balochistan are major crossings for trade and people
Tribal areas	The former Federally Administered Tribal Areas merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018

What Else Should You Remember?

Legal debate: Afghanistan has argued that the 1893 agreement ended after a hundred years, and Pakistan answers that international law supports continuity of borders, as in the principle of uti possidetis.
Expiry argument: Afghan arguments about a 100-year term are disputed, because the treaty does not state such a limit, according to many legal experts.
Link to India: India has supported Afghan development projects and has shown no formal position on the line, and the line matters for India’s access to Central Asia, as in Durand Line Disputes and Pakistan-Afghanistan Tensions.
Radcliffe and McMahon: the line is a colonial boundary like the McMahon Line and the Radcliffe Line, as in Radcliffe Line (India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh Boundary).
Population: Pashtuns live on both sides, and the Baloch live in Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan.
Terrorism: the border region is linked to groups such as the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, which Pakistan says operate from Afghan soil.
Border crossings: the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has several official crossing points, and millions of people have moved across it for work, family visits and trade, many without formal papers.
Refugees: Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan refugees since 1979 and has expelled many undocumented Afghans in recent years, which strains relations.
Trade: the border is a route for Afghan transit trade through Pakistan, and closures have large economic effects.

Why Does It Matter?

Regional stability: the unsettled border feeds tension between Kabul and Islamabad and affects stability in South and Central Asia.
Ethnic politics: the line divides ethnic groups, and any change could affect borders elsewhere, so the international community mostly supports existing boundaries.
Security issues: cross-border militancy and smuggling are persistent.
Relevance for India: India’s interests in Afghanistan and Central Asia depend on a stable region, and Pakistan blocks overland transit.
Exam pattern: questions ask the year, the people behind it, the length and the groups divided.

As an analytical point, the Durand Line is a colonial-era boundary which is accepted by most states but not by the state it divides. Its status shapes politics between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Facts Year, people and length asked
Dispute Afghan non-recognition
Link Pashtun division

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the 38th Parallel. Next topic: 38th Parallel (North Korea-South Korea Boundary).

Key People and Terms

Durand Line 1893 Afghanistan-British India boundary
Pashtunistan Proposed Pashtun homeland
Great Game Anglo-Russian rivalry in Central Asia
Wakhan Corridor Afghan strip reaching China
TTP Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan
Torkham Major crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Agreed on 12 November 1893.
Mortimer Durand and Abdur Rahman Khan.
About 2,640 km.
Divides Pashtun and Baloch areas.
Afghanistan does not recognise it.

Do Not Confuse With

Durand Line and Radcliffe Line Afghanistan-Pakistan versus India-Pakistan
Durand Line and LoC International boundary versus Kashmir ceasefire line
Wakhan Corridor and PoK Afghan strip to China versus Pakistan-held Kashmir

Memory Hook

Ninety-three at Kabul, Durand with the Amir; two thousand six-forty km that Pashtuns hold dear; Pakistan fences it, Afghans do not cheer.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about colonial boundaries and conflict. These points add depth.

Origin Great Game buffer
Dispute Non-recognition
Impact Militancy and trade

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Examine the origin of the Durand Line and its effect on relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan.”

How to Answer

Origin 1893 treaty.
Status Accepted, rejected.
Impact Pashtuns, TTP.
India Transit, interests.

GS Relevance

Prelims: origin, length, parties. GS Paper 2: India's neighbourhood and West Asia and Central Asia links.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Durand Line?

The Durand Line is the roughly 2,640-kilometre boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, agreed in 1893 between Sir Mortimer Durand of British India and the Afghan ruler Amir Abdur Rahman Khan. Pakistan treats it as the international border, while Afghanistan has never accepted it as a permanent boundary.

Why does Afghanistan not recognise the Durand Line?

Afghanistan says the line was imposed by the British on a weak Afghan ruler, that it divides Pashtun and other communities, and that the 1893 agreement has lapsed. Pakistan and most legal experts reply that the border was inherited from British India and that international law supports the continuity of existing borders.

Which communities does the Durand Line divide?

The Durand Line divides the Pashtun people, who live on both sides of the border in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the Baloch people in the south. Family and trade ties cross the border, which is one reason why the fence and crossing rules are opposed by many Afghans.

Why has Pakistan built a fence along the border?

Pakistan built a fence of about 2,600 kilometres along the Durand Line, mainly from 2017, to stop cross-border militancy, smuggling and illegal movement, and to strengthen its claim that the line is a settled international border. The Taliban and many Afghans oppose the fence because it divides communities.

Why does the Durand Line matter for India?

India has development and trade interests in Afghanistan and wants access to Central Asia, but Pakistan does not allow overland transit through its territory. Tension on the Durand Line affects the stability of Afghanistan, and therefore India's projects, security interests and links in the wider region.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 The Durand Line was agreed in 1893.

True

Between Durand and Abdur Rahman Khan.

2 Afghanistan formally recognises the Durand Line as a permanent border.

False

It does not.

3 The Durand Line divides the Pashtun people.