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Title Pak Afghan Border Management: Assessing Pakistan's Foreign Policy towards Afghanistan (2001-2020)

Author(s) Hassam Ahmad siddiqui

Abstract This research study critically examines the pivotal role of Pak-Afghan border management in shaping Pakistan’s foreign policy towards Afghanistan over the past two decades. The central thesis posits that the unresolved border dispute, particularly Afghanistan’s rejection of the Pak-Afghan border, has been a fundamental driver of Pakistan’s diplomatic and security posture. The decision by Pakistan to fence the Pak-Afghan border in 2017 was a calculated response to escalating security threats, including terrorism, illegal migration, and cross-border trafficking. Although widely perceived as a security-driven measure, this action also carried significant foreign policy implications, signaling a shift in Pakistan's diplomatic and strategic approach towards Afghanistan. The border fencing initiative was not merely a safeguard for Pakistan's internal stability but a deliberate effort to reshape bilateral relations with Afghanistan and assert Pakistan’s position in regional security dynamics. This study applies Neo-Classical Realism and Border Securitization Theory to critically assess how internal and external factors influence Pakistan’s foreign policy decisions regarding the border issue. By integrating these theoretical frameworks, the study highlights how domestic political considerations, historical grievances, and external pressures from regional powers, such as India, have shaped Pakistan’s approach to border management and its broader diplomatic stance. Furthermore, this research examines the multifaceted impact of border fencing on Pak-Afghan relations, highlighting its role as a strategic foreign policy tool designed to address immediate security concerns and long-term geopolitical objectives. Key issues such as the War on Terror, the Pakistan-Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), border fencing, the role of external actors, particularly India, and assertions of successive Afghan Governments have been scrutinized to understand their compounded effects on diplomatic and security dynamics. This study employs qualitative analysis of primary and secondary sources, including official documents and interviews with key stakeholders, to explore how these challenges influenced Pakistan’s foreign policy decisions. A Comprehensive Pak-Afghan Border Management Framework (CBMF) has been proposed as a policy recommendation for Pakistan and Afghanistan to mitigate tensions, enhance cross-border cooperation, and address long-standing grievances. By placing the border fencing decision within the context of Pakistan’s continually evolving foreign policy, this research undertakes an endeavor to offer a principle perspective on border management as a tool of diplomacy while sheds light on the strategic rationale underlying Pakistan’s approach to its bilateral relationship with Afghanistan.

Type Thesis/Dissertation PhD

Faculty Social Sciences

Department International Relations

Language English

Publication Date 2025-04-09

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