The Durand Commission (1893) was set up toa) Recommend changes in the...
The Durand Commission (1893)
The Durand Commission was set up to define the Durand Line between India and Afghanistan, which now serves as the boundary between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The commission was named after Sir Mortimer Durand, a British diplomat who was tasked with demarcating the border between British India and Afghanistan.
Background
The need to define a boundary between British India and Afghanistan arose due to the increasing tensions between the two countries. The British were concerned about Russian influence in Afghanistan, and they wanted to secure their northwestern frontier. The Durand Line was drawn to establish a buffer zone between British India and Afghanistan.
Significance
The Durand Line became a crucial geopolitical boundary in the region, shaping the political landscape of present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, the demarcation of the border was controversial and has led to ongoing disputes between the two countries.
Legacy
The Durand Line continues to be a point of contention between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with both countries having differing interpretations of its validity. The legacy of the Durand Commission highlights the complexities of colonial border-making and its long-lasting impact on the political dynamics of the region.
The Durand Commission (1893) was set up toa) Recommend changes in the...
- The Durand Line is the 2,430-kilometre international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was established in 1896 between Sir Mortimer Durand, a British diplomat and civil servant of the British Raj, and Abdur Rahman Khan, the Afghan Amir, to fix the limit of their respective spheres of influence and improve diplomatic relations and trade.
- Afghanistan was considered by the British as an independent state, although the British controlled its foreign affairs and diplomatic relations.
- The Durand Line cuts through the Pashtun tribal areas and further south through the Balochistan region, politically dividing ethnic Pashtuns and the Baloch and other ethnic groups, who live on both sides of the border.
- It demarcates Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan of northern and western Pakistan from Afghanistan's northeastern and southern provinces.
- From a geopolitical and geostrategic perspective, it has been described as one of the world's most dangerous borders.