Armed clashes and gunfire exchanges between parties from Afghanistan and Pakistan started on 16 March 2024 and escalated further from December 2024. However, while this can be considered a more modern conflict, the relationship between the countries has always been strained and adversarial since Pakistan gained independence in 1947.
The Longstanding Afghanistan-Pakistan Conflict: Explaining the Main Causes of the Conflict Between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Territorial Dispute Stemming From The Durand Line
A colonial line drawn in 1893 continues to divide nations and tribes. The Durand Line not only split Pashtun territories but also ignited a century-long contest over legitimacy, sovereignty, and identity that shapes Afghan-Pakistani relations today.
The Durand Line, also known as the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, is a 2640-kilometer border line that separates Afghanistan and Pakistan. he western end runs to the border with Iran and the eastern end to the border with China. It was drawn in 1893 via an agreement between Mortimer Durand, representing British India, and Afghan ruler Amir Abdur Rahman Khan.
However, as a consequence of the decision, a border line cut across traditional Pashtun tribal territories without local consultation or mechanisms for long-term enforcement. Moreover, when British India was partitioned in 1947, Afghanistan refused to recognize the Durand Line. It argued further that the agreement lapsed with the end of colonial authority.
Afghanistan even cast the lone vote in 1947 against the independence of Pakistan and its admission in the United Nations. It contended that that recognizing Pakistan will be tantamount to accepting the Durand Line and acknowledging what it considered as inherited colonial borders. Remember that it viewed the line as an illegitimate and imposed colonial border.
Leaders in Afghanistan has also promoted the idea that Pashtun populations in regions such as the North-West Frontier Province and Balochistan should have the option of independence or union with the Afghan government. They believe that the Pashtun people were not given the opportunity to vote for independence as a third option due to colonial interference.
However, for its counterargument, Pakistan has contended that Afghanistan is not after the welfare or interest of the Pashtun people. The demand of the Afghan government is seen as a mere attempt to annex Pashtun areas under Pakistan. Afghanistan has been accused of wanting to expand its territory and secure a strategic outlet to the Arabian Sea via Balochistan.
Escalations From Proxy Wars and Internal Politics
What began as a geopolitical calculation has turned into a crisis. Pakistan pursued strategic depth through proxies. But it later gave rise to internal insurgency, foreign resentment, and a border that remains as unstable as the policy that created it.
The unresolved territorial dispute has given both Afghanistan and Pakistan a reason to engage in proxy warfare. Pakistan has a military doctrine based on achieving strategic depth by securing its western border. This doctrine is intended to focus all of its defense resources on India in the east. Note that India is the primary geopolitical rival of Pakistan.
Hence, to secure its western border, Pakistan has historically supported Afghan militant groups since the 1970s to ensure an anti-India and pro-Pakistan government in Afghanistan. This included financing and reinforcing the mujahideen or Muslim guerilla fighters during the Soviet invasion in 1979 and the Afghan Taliban after the Soviet withdrawal in 1989.
The emergence of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP in 2007, a group that emerged after Pakistani militant factions banded under Baitullah Mehsud, revealed the problems with the strategic depth doctrine. The group is ideologically aligned with Afghan Taliban but has a different purpose centered on destabilizing the Pakistani government.
Pakistan alleged that TTP fighters found protection in Afghan provinces such as Kunar, Nuristan, and Paktika after military operations intensified domestically under Afghan Taliban. Afghanistan responded to this accusation by arguing that the current internal problems of Pakistan stems from its failure to solve and prioritize its internal sociopolitical affairs.
It is also worth mentioning that the Afghan Taliban first took control of Afghanistan in 1996 with the support of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. They were overthrown in 2001 but was able to regain power in August 2021 after a two-decade insurgency. However, contrary to what Pakistan hoped in the past, the Afghan Taliban leadership has now become antagonistic.
Impact of Regional Geopolitics and External Interference
The tug-of-war between global powers has defined the Afghan-Pakistani equation. During the Cold War, Pakistan became the anti-Soviet launchpad going to Afghan territories. After 2001, it was the reluctant ally in the infamous American war on terror.
Regional rivalries and issues have influenced Afghan-Pakistani tensions. For example, as part of expanding its regional influence during the Cold War, the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, which then resulted in the 10-year Soviet-Afghan War. Pakistan served as the main logistical and training hub for the anti-Soviet resistance in Afghanistan.
The Soviet-Afghan War left Afghanistan politically and economically fragile. However, after the war and the broader Cold War, the India-Pakistan conflict plays out on Afghan soil. Pakistan has accused India of creating a two-front threat and securing strong influence in Afghanistan through diplomatic missions, infrastructure investments, and security cooperation.
Afghanistan has also pursued diverse partnerships to offset reliance on Pakistan. These include building and maintaining closer ties with Iran, China, Russia, and Central Asian states. Take note that China has been exerting economic and geopolitical influence across countries in the Middle East, South Asia and Central Asia through its Belt and Road initiatives.
The involvement of U.S. and NATO after 2001 altered regional dynamics. International forces supported Afghan security institutions and targeted transnational militant groups. Pakistan argued that the U.S. undermined the domestic consequences of militant displacement, while Afghanistan claimed Pakistan manipulated insurgent proxies to shape negotiations.
However, when the U.S. and NATO withdrew in Afghanistan in 2021, the power balance in the region was altered again. This sudden departure left a power vacuum that was quickly filled by the Afghan Taliban. China has also pressured Pakistan to secure its borders and contain insurgencies because of its multi-billion China-Pakistan economic corridor project.
More Recent Escalation Due To Pakistani Taliban
Diplomatic channels remain open, but the gunfire speaks louder. As Pakistan targets militants it accuses of operating from Afghan soil, the Taliban government responds with force. Each new clash has underscored the fragility of peace efforts.
It is interesting to note that Pakistan maintains a diplomatic mission in Afghanistan and accepts an ambassador representing the Taliban government. It also remains a vital trade partner and a major transit route for landlocked Afghanistan to access seaports for international trade. The country has historically hosted millions of Afghan refugees fleeing conflict.
The recent escalation of the Afghanistan-Pakistan conflict stems from the rise of attacks from TTP since 2022 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. Officials claimed that militant planners and facilitators operated from Afghan territory, particularly in provinces such as Khost, Paktika, and Nangarhar, without adequate intervention by authorities in Afghanistan.
Moreover, in March 2024, Pakistani airstrikes targeted suspected TTP hideouts near Afghan border districts. Afghan officials condemned the operations as violations of sovereignty that caused civilian casualties. Clashes involving small arms, mortars, and artillery followed near crossings in Spin Boldak, Torkham, and Angoor Adda as tensions escalated.
Both sides engaged in diplomatic exchanges throughout mid-2024 to late-2024. However, because of the historically strained relationship between the two countries, talks were marked by denials and accusations. Border closures temporarily halted trade and humanitarian transit. Locals reported displacement due to intermittent shelling and troop movements.
Pakistan carried out new airstrikes in Kabul, Khost, Jalalabad, and Paktika in October 2025 to target TTP. However, since these occurred in Afghanistan, the Afghan Taliban launched an attack on multiple Pakistani military posts along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. A ceasefire ensued on 19 October 2025 but this does translate to broader conflict resolution.
FURTHER READINGS AND REFERENCES
- Ali, N. Z., Chaudhry, K. T., Ch, A. A., Shaikh, A. T., and Muhammad, W. 2025. “The Future of Pakistan-Afghanistan Relations: Challenges and Opportunities in Post-Taliban Diplomacy.” Journal for Social Science Archives. 3(1): 1168-1183. DOI: 59075/jssa.v3i1.196
- Assanbayev, M., Talha, M., and Murtaza, M. 2025. “The Afghan-Pakistan Borderlands and Their Impact on Pakistan’s Security.” Journal of Central Asian Studies. 23(2): 17-30. DOI: 52536/3006-807X.2025-2.002
- Ali, F. 12 October 2025. “Taliban, Pakistani Forces Trade Heavy Fire Along Afghanistan Border.” Al Jazeera. Available online
- Hassan, M. S. and Jalil, N. 2024. “Pakistan and Afghanistan Relation: An Overview of Before and After the Government of Taliban.” Indus Journal of Social Sciences 2(2): 443-452. DOI: 59075/ijss.v2i2.289
- Kaura, V. 2016. “The Durand Line Dispute: Past Trends and Future Prospects.” The Indian Journal of Political Science. 77(1): 116-226. JSTOR: 26575674
Photo Credit: Hogweard / Map Showing locations of Afghanistan and Pakistan / 2021 / Adapted CC BY-SA 3.0