The Durand Line: South Asia’S Next Trouble Spot
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NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS THE DURAND LINE: SOUTH ASIA’S NEXT TROUBLE SPOT by Tariq Mahmood June 2005 Thesis Advisor: Peter R. Lavoy Co Adviser: Feroz Hassan Khan Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Di-rectorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED June 2005 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: The Durand Line: South Asia’s New Trouble Spot 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Tariq Mahmood 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION REPORT Monterey, CA 93943-5000 NUMBER 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES: The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, the U.S. Government, the Pakistan Army or the Government of Pakistan. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited A 13. ABSTRACT The Durand Line, the western border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, was delineated in 1893 as the boundary between then British India and Afghanistan. The international community recognizes the Durand line as the Pak-Afghan border since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, but successive Afghan rulers have repudiated its legitimacy. This dispute has caused turbulence in relations between these countries and instigates greater problems with regard to the Pashtun nationalism. The Durand Line has remained porous due to the nature of tribal cultures and the socio-economic compulsions of the people living along the Durand line. The Durand Line was exploited to launch the Afghan Jihad against the Soviets in the 1980s. The GWOT in Afghanistan has once again brought misperceptions regarding alignment, and the porous nature of the Durand Line to the lime light. This thesis demonstrates that existing combat operations against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and the exploitation of the Durand Line by the U.S.-led coalition forces, had a destabilizing effect on Pakistan, due to the autonomous nature of tribal areas and Pakistan’s necessity to extend its authority in tribal areas while supporting the GWOT. This thesis recommends that a clear understanding of the Durand Line as an international border by all concerned states will enhance the coordination of operations at all tiers, and thereby prevent this border from becoming South Asia’s next trouble spot. 14. SUBJECT TERMS: Pakistan, Afghanistan, The Durand Line, Pashtunistan, Pak-Afghan 15. NUMBER OF Relations, Role of International and Regional players in South Asia, FATA, NWFP and Operations PAGES against Al-Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan, GWOT, India and Afghanistan. 119 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THE DURAND LINE: SOUTH ASIA’S NEW TROUBLE SPOT Tariq Mahmood Lieutenant Colonel, Pakistan Army BSc (Honors) War Studies, Balochistan University, 1996 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN NATIONAL SECURITY AFFAIRS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL June 2005 Author: Lieutenant Colonel Tariq Mahmood Approved by: Peter R. Lavoy Thesis Advisor Feroz Hassan Khan Thesis Co Advisor R. Douglas Porch Chairman, Department of National Security Affairs iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT The Durand Line, the western border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, was delineated in 1893 as the boundary between then British India and Afghanistan. The international community recognizes the Durand line as the Pak-Afghan border since the creation of Pakistan in 1947, but successive Afghan rulers have repudiated its legitimacy. This dispute has caused turbulence in relations between these countries and instigates greater problems with regard to the Pashtun nationalism. The Durand Line has remained porous due to the nature of tribal cultures and the socio-economic compulsions of the people living along the Durand line. The Durand Line was exploited to launch the Afghan Jihad against the Soviets in the 1980s. The GWOT in Afghanistan has once again brought misperceptions regarding alignment, and the porous nature of the Durand Line to the lime light. This thesis demonstrates that existing combat operations against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban and the exploitation of the Durand Line by the U.S.-led coalition forces, had a destabilizing effect on Pakistan, due to the autonomous nature of tribal areas and Pakistan’s necessity to extend its authority in tribal areas while supporting the GWOT. This thesis recommends that a clear understanding of the Durand Line as an international border by all concerned states will enhance the coordination of operations at all tiers, and thereby prevent this border from becoming South Asia’s next trouble spot. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................1 A. PURPOSE.........................................................................................................2 B. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK.................................................................6 C. ORGANIZATION .........................................................................................10 II. THE GENESIS OF THE DURAND LINE..............................................................13 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................13 B. BEGINNING OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROBLEM..........................14 1. The Legitimacy of Afghanistan as a Nation State...........................14 2. The “Great Game” and Carving of Northern Frontiers of Afghanistan.........................................................................................16 3. Necessity to Draw Southern Border of Afghanistan.......................17 C. THE DURAND LINE AGREEMENT.........................................................18 D. INADEQUACIES OF DELINEATION ......................................................20 1. The Untimely Transfer of Sir Mortimer Durand ...........................21 2. The Effects of Having No Survey and the Unavailability of Exact Maps .........................................................................................21 3. Tribal Resentment .............................................................................21 4. Political Expediency and Tribe Divide.............................................22 E. REAFFIRMATION OF THE AGREEMENT............................................22 F. THE VALIDITY OF THE DURAND LINE AGREEMENT....................23 1. International Rules ............................................................................23 2. Commonwealth Assertion .................................................................24 3. SEATO Communiqué Confirmation ...............................................24 4. Confirmation by the United States...................................................25 G. AFGHANISTAN’S CLAIMS .......................................................................25 1. Denouncing the Treaty ......................................................................25 2. Greater Pashtunistan.........................................................................26 3. Unilateral Cancellation of the Agreement .......................................27 4. Expiration of Agreement after Lapse of Hundred Years...............27 5. Free Movement across the Durand Line .........................................28 H. MISPERCEPTIONS OF INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS ............28 I. PAKISTAN’S STANCE ................................................................................29 J. CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................30 III. PASHTUNISTAN AND PAK-AFGHAN RELATIONS........................................33 A. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................33 B. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................36 1. Futurist Move by Indian National Congress...................................37 2. Tribal Allegiance to Pakistan............................................................38 3. Afghanistan Claims Pashtunistan ....................................................38