Afghanistan and Pakistan: A Complex Diplomatic Relationship

Abstract

This article investigate the convoluted and persistently volatile diplomatic relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan, tracing its evolution from colonial legacies to the contemporary post-2021 landscape. Rooted in shared Pashtun ethnic, cultural, and tribal ties across the 2,640-kilometer Durand Line, the relationship has been marked by profound interdependence alongside deep mistrust, territorial disputes, and security dilemmas. Historical analysis reveals Afghanistan's longstanding rejection of the Durand Line, Pakistan's pursuit of "strategic depth" through proxy support for mujahideen and the Taliban, and mutual accusations of harboring militants that intensified after 2001. The Taliban's 2021 resurgence initially promised alignment but rapidly deteriorated into open antagonism, driven by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)'s resurgence from Afghan territories, resulting in thousands of attacks, retaliatory Pakistani airstrikes, border clashes, mass refugee deportations, trade disruptions, and collapsed mediation efforts. Employing a qualitative methodology that integrates historical review, case studies of recent escalations, and analytical frameworks of security dilemmas, trust dynamics, and regional security complexes, the study highlights how ethnic linkages complicate state control, sovereignty-security tensions perpetuate cycles of violence, and external influences from India, China, and others amplify frictions. Findings demonstrate that post-2021 realities have inverted Pakistan's strategic calculations, turning anticipated advantages into liabilities and exposing the fragility of proxy-based policies. The article concludes that without addressing core issues sovereignty recognition, credible counter-militancy cooperation, and economic interdependence the relationship risks fueling broader instability, transnational terrorism, humanitarian crises, and great-power competition in South Asia.

Keywords: Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations, Durand Line, Strategic Depth, Tehrik-E-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Cross-Border Terrorism, Regional Security Complex.