FOR over a century, the Durand Line — the 2,640-kilometre border separating Pakistan and Afghanistan — has stood as one of South Asia’s most enduring and contentious frontiers.
Drawn in 1893 under an agreement between Sir Mortimer Durand, representing British India and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan, the line was never intended to divide nations but to delineate spheres of influence. Yet over time, it evolved into a symbol of separation, carving through shared histories, ethnicities and families. As a futurist and geopolitical scientist concerned about the next generation, I believe that the debate surrounding this border — and the larger framework of Pakistan–Afghanistan relations — cannot be understood in isolation. To imagine a peaceful and cooperative future, both nations must begin with the root causes of mistrust, instability and extremism that continue to destabilize the region. The foremost challenge is terrorism, born from the deep ideological extremism that has infiltrated both societies. Over the past several years, every diplomatic effort between Pakistan and Afghanistan has ultimately circled back to this issue.
For Pakistan, terrorism remains the central security concern and with good reason. Militant groups exploiting religion and ethnic identity have turned the frontier into a sanctuary for violence. Yet, this problem is not merely military or political — it is profoundly social and ideological. Both Afghans and Pakistanis must recognize that extremism is the fertile ground from which terrorism grows. Without confronting the roots of this ideology, no ceasefire or border arrangement can bring lasting peace. The solution lies in what I call a “social futures dialogue” — a process of intra-societal negotiation that transcends government boundaries and involves religious and moral leadership. Pakistan and Afghanistan must jointly initiate cross-border interfaith and intra-faith dialogues, bringing together scholars, religious bodies and Ulema to revisit and clarify principles surrounding jihad, peace and coexistence in Islam. These discussions should reach the people directly — through mosques, community centres and media — where extremist narratives take shape. Every pulpit, every Friday sermon and every community gathering can become a forum for peace education.
Through a structured mechanism, Pakistan can lead by using mosque networks and religious institutions to promote peace-oriented interpretations of Islam and counter the rhetoric of hatred. This is not a side issue but the first and most urgent frontier for the future. Without addressing this ideological battleground, efforts to manage the Durand Line or strengthen economic ties will continue to falter. Once the ideological and social foundations are stabilized, the second major challenge remains the Durand Line itself — a lingering colonial legacy that has come to symbolize division. While Pakistan recognizes it as an international border, successive Afghan governments — from King Zahir Shah to the Taliban — have rejected it, arguing that the agreement expired with the end of British rule in 1947. For many along the frontier, the line remains an arbitrary construct that splits tribes and livelihoods. The Taliban’s return to power in 2021 reignited these tensions, with border skirmishes, fencing disputes and militant movements straining ties once more.
Recent discussions in Doha between Pakistan’s defense delegation and Afghanistan’s Defense Minister, Maulvi Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, offered a temporary calm but no resolution. Mujahid’s statement that “the Durand Line was not discussed” underscores Kabul’s continued reluctance to legitimize it. Yet his suggestion that the issue should be decided by the Lar-o-Bar Afghans — the people on both sides of the border — through a traditional jirga is a potential turning point. By proposing a public, community-driven process rooted in Pashtun traditions, Mujahid has inadvertently paved a path toward participatory peace-building. For sustainable peace, both nations must rethink their approach. Families divided by the border face immense hardship, restricted mobility and limited economic opportunities. Informal trade that once sustained the frontier economy has withered, while cycles of displacement continue to tear at the social fabric. Yet, these same communities hold the key to reconciliation, having lived through generations of shared struggle, exchange and resilience.
History cannot be undone, but it can be reimagined. The Durand Line, long seen as a fault line, can become a bridge. Pakistan and Afghanistan must shift from confrontation to collaboration by creating joint border and economic commissions, introducing cross-border mobility passes for tribal communities and developing shared trade and infrastructure zones. Neutral platforms such as the OIC or the UN can help build confidence and technical capacity where needed. The future belongs to those who can imagine it together. Pakistan and Afghanistan must move beyond their painful pasts and envision a peaceful frontier similar to that of the United States and Canada, where cooperation defines the relationship. Living in history has never created the future — only foresight does. The next generation deserves a region where borders connect rather than divide, where trade, culture and understanding replace suspicion and hostility. Ultimately, the Durand Line’s transformation depends not on redrawing maps but on redrawing mindsets. If Islamabad and Kabul can embrace a shared, forward-looking vision grounded in peace and cooperation, this colonial legacy can evolve into a corridor of opportunity — a bridge to lasting stability and prosperity for the entire region.
—The writer is a futurist and geopolitical analyst, based in Islamabad.
