Azizullah AzizBy: Azizullah Aziz
December 03, 2014
Kabul, Afghanistan
Introduction: Borders are the core and rigorous lines of a territorial split-up between one and another country. In addition, in most circumstances borders are also called entrance gates into countries. However, if these borders are open, unsecured, uncontrolled and totally unclear between two or many different countries the states and nations on both sides suffer in various illegal activities of smugglers, terrorists and many other different bad people that exist in this arena.
Unluckily, one of the most obvious unsecured borders in this region for over many decades is between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Borders between Afghanistan and Pakistan are not only open but, uncontrolled, unsecured, unsafe and disputable as well; one of the foremost border lines that have created undefended, imprecise and absolutely indiscreet spaces between Afghanistan and Pakistan is the Durand Line! (sultani, 2013).
To put it in a different way, the history is the witness of all the skirmishes, tragedies, heartbreaks, misfortunes and catastrophes because of the border uncertainty between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Many different times Afghanistan has suffered from this line in several different aspects such as regime collapses, insurgency, Al Qaeda activities, and many other radical Islamic activities.
Since the Pashtun ethnicities live on both sides, and have similarities of blood, culture, language and religious relationships, have made the Durand Line more critical, ambiguous and uncertain for the past regimes of the Afghanistan’s states and therefore they have failed in solving the issue solidly with Pakistan. (RFE/RL, 2014)
On the other hand, the nomadic tribal heads on the Pakistan side of this Line has situated a traditional legitimacy and influence over Afghan political leaders since the creation of this Line, pretending that they are and will be on the Afghanistan side of this line because of the Pashtunwali and not vice versa. Meanwhile, as a result this traditional legitimacy and influence Afghanistan had to and still has to pay financial assets to these nomadic Pakistani tribal leaders where in reality they all have one face and two sides who works for ISI of Pakistan. In a sum Afghanistan is sufferer of the Durand Line because of Pashtunwali, traditional legitimacy, and tribal heads’ influences over Afghanistan’s political system for several decades.
Thesis: Particularly, along the history and now the Durand Line has resulted in a few destructive ways for Afghanistan such as the influence of Pakistani tribal leaders over Afghan politicians, both the regional and global spying agencies have benefited either directly or indirectly and also the collapse of political regimes in Afghanistan and lastly that has ended as the blood line for Afghanistan.
Thus, the 2,640 kilometers open and long permeable border between Afghanistan and Pakistan has created a frequent, unfortified border space. The Durand Line agreement between Amir Abdur Rahman Khan and Sir Henry Mortimer Durand happened in November 12, 1893 in other words by and between the governments of Britain India and Afghanistan. The Line creates a separation of some Pushton living ethnicity lands from the Afghanistan territory. However, this agreement was drafted by the Britain Indian Army and was signed by the Amir of Afghanistan in the favor of the British Army until their presence in the region, because of the elimination of the threats from the Afghanistan borders to the Britain Empire.
Consequently, at that time there was no Pakistan existed. However, after the shameful collapse of the British Empire in the region, they decided to split the Big India into two different countries of Muslims and Hindus that resulted into an obvious massacre at that time and the new country Pakistan inherited this Line from the British Empire’s withdrawal after. Since then up to now this line has become a blood line to the Afghan citizens. (admin, 2006)
The 2,640 km border between Afghanistan and Pakistan is named after Sir Mortimer Durand the foreign secretary of then undivided British India. He negotiated this border with the King of Afghanistan at the end of 19 century the power of Afghani king had declined so he had no choice but to accept it. Fast forward to 1947 India – Pakistan gain independence but Afghans refused to recognize Durand Line as the international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. In 1947 at the United Nations general assembly meeting Afghanistan even casted vote against the admission of Pakistan to the United Nations.
In mid last decade a top US diplomat said that Durand Line constitutes the international border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, which has annoyed the government of Afghanistan under the presidency of Hamid Karzai. Issued a decree “Durand Line between Pakistan and Afghanistan does not have any legitimacy we reject the statement made by USA.” In response to this statement Pakistan also made a statement through media “The Durand line between Afghanistan and Pakistan is a closed and settled issue, hence we do not bother.”
Cautiously, the United States because of gaining support of Pakistan during the cold war sided with them on the issue of the Durand Line, where in reality they could play a vital and fundamental role between Afghanistan and Pakistan because of their military influence in the region. Along and with the cooperation of the NATO forces, but, unfortunately they did not keep their impartiality at all. However, after above controversy the United States declared once again after a while “Our policy on this (Durand Line) has not changed).” India on the other hand has been really quite and silent, although, this silence is widely interpreted as supporting Pakistan’s position in this regard.
With regard to the Durand Line or the blood line the question has not yet formally reached the United Nations. Otherwise the United Nations could play a major role in settling the disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, in a very peaceful environment, or based on a soft diplomacy. India ‘s stand on the Durand Line may be worthwhile for India to signal that they do not necessarily recognize the Durand Line why because to this date the relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan are characterized by rivalry, suspicion and resentment. The primary cause of this hostility rests in the Durand line agreement.
India can use it as a facilitator to more deepen friendship with Afghanistan by taking their side on the Durand Line issue. But Indian foreign policy prefers to stay away from all political risks,
Very unlikely Baluchistan is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. It is the largest province by area but smallest by population. On August 11, 1947 the British acceded control of Baluchistan to the king of Baluchistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah tried to persuade the Baluch king to join Pakistan but the Baluch parliament refused it. So the Pakistani Army invaded Baluchistan in 1948 and took control of everything, they also tried to do same thing in Kashmir during 1947 but could not succeed because of the direct intervention and influence of the India.
Anyways, later on the Baluch people started independence movements against Pakistan rule leading to insurgency armed struggle which it is still going on, and every once in a while Pakistan accuses Indian agency RAW for supporting those Baluch rebels. The question arises here that how does Baluchistan issue connects with the Durand Line?
Particularly, if there is a strong, sovereign and self-confident government in Afghanistan with high capacity and high autonomy following things can happen, the Afghanistan government takes very assertive and aggressive stance just like China over Tibet issue.
The Afghan armed forces may launch some campaign to reclaim the territory the Afghan intelligence service may start funding and training Baluch insurgents to create more trouble for Pakistan just like ISI that creates trouble for India and Afghanistan.
Therefore, Pakistan wants a weak, destabilized, puppet government in Afghanistan to prevent above nightmares from happening. That is why ISI has been providing shelters for the members of Al-Qaeda, Mujahidin and Taliban in Baluchistan area. It serves two purposes one Taliban commits acts of terrorism within Afghanistan keeps the governments of Kabul engaged with its domestic quandary, difficulties and the media influence.
Two Baluch rebels and Taliban are belonging to two separate ethnic groups hence; presence of Taliban in the region assures that they keep infighting to dominate the region. Lastly, Pakistan calmly enjoys the benefits from the international community, regional community and at the same time leads its core strategic aims in a way that really wants it.
As a result, within the competition, and rivalries of India, Pakistan and Baluchistan, Afghanistan is being a victim everyday over hundreds of Afghans civilians loses their lives because of hidden clashes between RAW of India and ISI of Pakistan in Afghanistan. One of the most obvious rivalries of Pakistan’s government is the built of a port at Gwader in Baluchistan coast with the help of Chinese engineering expertise.
Gwader project is trouble for India because of the following reasons, one, around one third of world’s oil supply comes through the Strait of Hormuz. Gwadar is located only 180 nautical miles from the Strait of Hormuz this port would enable Pakistan to take control over the world energy jugular and destroy Indian tankers in case of war.
Two earlier all Pakistani navy ships were concentrated at Karachi port and Indian navy could easily attack them and block Pakistani trade. But now with Gwadar port Pakistani navy can further spread out its ships, thus, preventing Indian navy from destroying all assets at once. Gwadar port is 450 km further away from Indian border than Karachi port. Meanwhile, the Baluch rebels are conflicting Gwadar port they say Gwadar port has not lead to any economic development in the region. All the port jobs are given to the migrants from Punjab and Sindh province there have been reports of rebels attacking Chinese engineers and workers and Pakistan claiming that RAW had hand in it.
Now the Gwadar port is a part of string of pearls strategy of Chinese as well where they have got a hold of strategic ports in Gwadar, Bangladesh, Srilanka, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia and South China Sea etc. On a world map these ports form a string of pearls that may form as Chinese Line of defense to control oil movements.
Although, China has always denied that Gwadar will never be used by Chinese military, publicly China has always called it a civilian port of Pakistan. But in reality it is a defense Line created based on rivalries between Pakistan and India, which, indirectly China can use it for war purposes in the region as well.
As result of this vast and politically apparent competitions India barely built another port 72 km away from Gwadar port, the Chabahar port in Iran territory. The Chabahar port has also eliminated all the fear of Iranian about the Gwadar port that Pakistan will take all the businesses away from them. Therefore, the competition between the Pakistan and India created the opportunity for Iran to benefit freely from this opportunity because India directly helped building this port using the Indian engineers. On one hand to have an alternative for connecting with Afghanistan and on the other hand with the central Asia, because this route can give the shortest distance to India using Afghanistan’s territory through Delaram Zaranj to connect with central Asia and Europe. And also it could be a counter balance to Chinese influence in Gwadar.
However, the Durand Line is a cancer spot for Afghanistan under the control of the Pakistan’s military government that uses it as a very simple, unique and easily accessible blood line spot to increase the amount of pain on Afghanistan side and keep the country enough busy so one hand the government of Afghanistan does not find time to think about the Baluchistan and on the other hand do not even think about the strategic relationship with India or even other countries in the region.
Now the questions arises here that Afghanistan has been burning in its own fire by its own people “Pashtuns” who claims the full and sole sovereignty of this poor country. Based on my own personal analysis I do not see any other solution for this part except the international community’ direct intervention in regard to solving the issue of the Durand Line. Either totally gives it to Pakistan or Afghanistan etc. In other words, the government of Afghanistan needs to take this issue in its very best priority and solve this issue through the soft mediations of the international community’s presence in Afghanistan. Otherwise this Line can lead to the collapse of the Afghanistan’s government again as it did in 1990s. And as a result of this Line the whole other economical, social, political developments of the country will be engaged within the same problems that have been through the history.
Afghanistan really needs and deserves to designate, block and put barricades by all its borders with surrounded countries by neighbors in the region. Because the analysis show the whole destruction to this community comes from abroad and, therefore, we really need to physically take serous steps in this regard. Then we can easily and peacefully continue our strategic developments in many different aspects of the life. Afghanistan also needs to find alternatives for the import from other countries beyond Pakistan so that could create an economical pressure’s button on the Pakistan side. Such as the linkage or re integration of the Silk Road with central Asia, that was famed for its core connecting the central Asia and China to Europe with numerous process of globalization.
In conclusion, Afghanistan has been suffered and is still suffering from its undecided, open and unsafe borders especially the Durand Line and it really needs the help of the international community and the United Nations to resolve this dispute with the government of Pakistan and re designate clearly all its borders with the territory of Pakistan and also Afghanistan needs to find alternatives for its imports from abroad instead of Pakistan.
Whatever, developments that Afghanistan will receive either from the direct help of the international community or the indirect help of the regional or international community will be only feasible and Permanent for Afghanistan only if the surrounding walls of this war torn country becomes stable and controlled instead of uncontrolled. Especially the Durand Line issue should and must be solved with the military government of Pakistan.
Bibliography
admin, b. (2006, Jan 04). Durand Line Agreement. http://storyofpakistan.com/durand-line-agreement/ , 1.
RFE/RL, B. (2014, December 03). http://www.rferl.org/content/border-durand-line-afghanistan-pakistan-fighting/24977795.html. (B. o. Reuters, Ed.) Afghan, Pakistani Troops Clash Again At Disputed Border , 1.
sultani, M. y. (2013, May 07). http://theafghanistanexpress.com/border-clashes-and-the-history-of-durand-line/. The Afghanistan Express Daily , 1.
Azizullah Aziz 