Part 6/11:
The roots of this conflict lie in the colonial borders drawn by the British, especially the Durand Line, which split ethnic Pashtun communities. Today, the Pashtuns are roughly evenly split between Afghanistan and Pakistan, fueling irredentist sentiments and claims that the border is illegitimate. Afghanistan's recent internal messaging, such as statements from the interior ministry declaring the Durand Line was imposed by force, echoes this historic grievance.
Yet, this perspective overlooks that Afghanistan's own borders, established in colonial times, are equally arbitrary from an ethnic and geographic perspective. The northern border with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan was also defined by British diplomats, underscoring the artificiality of modern borders in Central and South Asia.