# data[].attributes.body
The Durand Line, which is the superimposed boundary between Pakistan and Afghanistan, was created on November 12, 1893, through an agreement between the British Indian government and the Afghanistan leader (Abdur Rahman Khan). It was created during the time when Pakistan was part of India, which is why the British Indian government had a say in where the boundary would be established. After Pakistan became independent from India in 1947, conflict began between the new Pakistan government and Afghanistan.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Map of ethnic groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan

# data[].attributes.headline
Ethnic Groups of Pakistan and Afghanistan

# data[].attributes.subject
Ethnic Groups of Pakistan and Afghanistan

# data[].attributes.body
To understand the boundary dispute of the Durand Line, it is crucial to understand the ethnic groups that make up Pakistan and Afghanistan, specifically the Punjabis (largely in Pakistan) and Pashtuns (largely in Afghanistan). While Pashtuns are mostly in Afghanistan, they also are a relatively big ethnic group in Pakistan. This is because, when the boundary was created, the persons in charge disregarded the distribution of these ethnicities (this is a reason why it is not a subsequent boundary). Also, the boundary was created after the British conquered the Pashtuns in Pakistan (which occurred in 1847).

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Pashtun population across the Durand Line

# data[].attributes.body
Because the Pashtuns were not considered during the time the border was created, the Durand Line ended up creating two Pashtun nations, one within Afghanistan and one within Pakistan. In addition, the Punjabis took control of the Pashtun nation since they were the majority ethnic group in Pakistan at that time. Because of this, there is a conflict between the Pushtans and Punjabis that is being carried out through the clash of the Taliban (mainly comprised of Pashtuns in Afghanistan) and the Pakistani army (mainly comprised of Punjabis).

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Historical events related to the Durand Line conflict

# data[].attributes.body
The effects of the Durand Line boundary dispute are evident today in the conflict between the Taliban, the Pakistani army, and even the US army as it has gotten involved in the dispute throughout the years. The Durand Line has caused violence between the two groups, resulting in suicide bombs and air strikes occurring almost daily. Also, many Pakistans have even crossed this boundary and have killed multiple Afghans because of this ongoing conflict between them.

# data[].attributes.body
The conflict of the Durand Line has led to several attacks on each country from the other, resulting in several deaths of not only soldiers but of innocent people as well. Additionally, Afghanistan has been further impacted by this boundary dispute as it has been invaded by the Red Army due to its previous relations with the Soviet Army. Regardless of the tragedies resulting from this conflict, it is highly unlikely that Pashtuns from both Afghanistan and Pakistan will reunite to do an inability to do so economically, politically, and militarily.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/durand-line/

https://www.mei.edu/publications/enduring-divide-afghanistan-pakistan-and-durand-line

https://thediplomat.com/2014/02/why-the-durand-line-matters/

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pashtun-demand-for-greater-afghanistan-could-ignite-nation-s-rivalry-with-pak-101614674811157.html

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
By Mary Schons

Friday, January 21, 2011

The Durand Line is the 2,640-kilometer (1,640-mile) border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's the result of an agreement between Sir Mortimer Durand, a secretary of the British Indian government, and Abdur Rahman Khan, the emir, or ruler, of Afghanistan. The agreement was signed on November 12, 1893, in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Durand Line as served as the official border between the two nations for more than one hundred years, but it has caused controversy for the people who live there.

When the Durand Line was created in 1893, Pakistan was still a part of India. India was in turn controlled by the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom ruled India from 1858 until India's independence in 1947. Pakistan also became a nation in 1947.

Punjabis and Pashtuns

There are two major ethnic groups near the Durand Line. Those two groups are the Punjabis and the Pashtuns. Most Punjabis and Pashtuns are Sunni Muslim. Punjabis are the largest ethnic group in Pakistan. Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan.

There are also a lot of Pashtuns in northwestern Pakistan, where they ruled over 103,600 square kilometers (40,000 square miles) of territory, before being defeated by the British in 1847. At the time, the Pashtuns were fighting to prevent the Punjabis from expanding farther into the mountains of southeastern Afghanistan.

The British established the Durand Line after conquering the Pashtuns. Eighty-five percent of the Durand Line follows rivers and other physical features, not ethnic boundaries. It split the Pashtuns into two separate countries.

Afghanistan governs all the Pashtuns on one side of the Durand Line, while Pakistan governs all the Pashtuns on the other. The Pashtuns on the Pakistan side of the border made up more than half of the Pashtun population, but were now under the control of the Punjabis, which made them angry.

The Pashtuns were also angry at the British colonial government.

Throughout history, colonial forces like the British have set boundaries that cause great tension for people who lived in the colony. Because the officials who drew the Durand Line didn't consider the ethnic groups that lived in the region, today there are many battles along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. On one side is the Pakistani army, made up mostly of Punjabis, and on the other is the Taliban, made up mostly of Pashtuns.

The Afghanistan government encourages the Pashtun people inside Pakistan to have their own separate state inside that country. For the 41 million Pashtuns in the region, support is also growing for a separate country called Pashtunistan. Pashtunistan is also the name for the area between Afghanistan and Pakistan where most Pashtuns live.

Right now, the Durand Line passes through the Pakistani provinces of North-West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and Balochistan. It also includes 10 provinces in Afghanistan.

The conflict between the Taliban, the Afghanistan government, the Pakistani government, and foreign (including American) troops in the area is often violent. The Durand Line endures suicide bombs, air strikes, or street fighting almost every day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
By Mary Schons Friday, January 21, 2011 The Durand Line is the 2,640-kilometer (1,640-mile) border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It's the result of an agreement between Sir Mortimer Durand, a secretary of the British Indian government, and Abdur Rahman Khan, the emir, or ruler, of Afghanistan.