Durand Line

The disputed 2,640-kilometer boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, established in 1893 by an agreement between Afghan ruler Abdur Rahman Khan and British India.

Durand Agreement: The 1893 agreement between Abdur Rahman Khan and British India that defined the boundary later known as the Durand Line. Its wording and circumstances underpin competing claims about whether the boundary remains binding.
Afghanistan–Pakistan relations: The diplomatic and political relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan since Pakistan’s creation in 1947. Disputes over the line have repeatedly strained relations between the neighboring states.
Afghanistan–Pakistan border: The international frontier administered between Afghanistan and Pakistan, largely following the Durand Line. Pakistan treats the line as its settled international border, while Afghanistan has disputed its status.
Border barrier: A physical structure built along a border to restrict or monitor movement across it. Pakistan has constructed fencing along much of the frontier, despite Afghanistan’s objections.
Mortimer Durand: A British diplomat who negotiated the 1893 boundary agreement with Abdur Rahman Khan. His negotiations gave the boundary its name and formal shape.
Pashtunistan: A political movement and territorial claim concerning Pashtun self-determination across Afghanistan and Pakistan. The line divides Pashtun-inhabited areas central to competing ideas of Pashtun political unity.
Uti possidetis juris: A principle that newly independent states generally inherit the administrative boundaries they had before independence. Pakistan invokes inherited colonial boundaries to support the line’s international status.
Spin Boldak: An Afghan border town opposite Chaman in Pakistan, connected by a major crossing. The crossing shows how the line operates as a controlled passage for trade and travel.
Abdur Rahman Khan: The emir of Afghanistan from 1880 to 1901, who negotiated with British India to consolidate his rule. He accepted the agreement while seeking to preserve Afghanistan’s independence and strengthen his position.
Pashtun people: An Iranian-speaking ethnic group whose communities span Afghanistan and Pakistan. The boundary crosses their historic settlement area without separating it into a single political community.

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