An Enigma of Pak-Afghan Border Security

Abstract

The conundrum of Pak-Afghan border security is not new. It‟s among those contentious issues that became an impediment in the governance of both states. In recent times, this issue has emerged yet again, but there is no substantial stratagem embedded to deal with complex security border management. This lack of border management, especially on the status of international recognition of the Durand line, is rejected by the successive governments of Afghanistan, has created a power vacuum which is again a security predicament of governance for both states. Previously, Pakistan proposed border security arrangements which were rejected by Afghanistan. Moreover, Pakistan was blamed for harboring militancy, cross border terrorism, drugs and trafficking in Afghanistan. In order to address the allegations from the Afghan government and to secure the border from insurgency directly harming Pakistan‟s internal security paradigm, Pakistan‟s military has suggested and constructing a border fencing mechanism which is the most pertinent arrangement to bar further border security issues. This paper would analyze the reservations over the constructions of fencing across the Pak-Afghan border from the Afghanistan‟s government and security agencies, while it has been a consistent demand from their side for Pakistan to provide with a border security mechanism. Any indiscretion over border management would cost Pakistan at the highest stake, because as being the immediate neighbor, this security management fallout would have a spill over impact on Pakistan.