Pakistan’s Border Policies and Security Dynamics along the Pakistan–Afghanistan Border

Abstract

After the US-backed international military alliance toppled the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001, most Afghan militants took shelter in neighboring Pakistan, blending into Pakistan’s tribal groups. Even though Pakistan took a variety of measures to control its border, the Pakistan–Afghanistan border has become a safe haven for Afghan and Pakistani militant groups. Despite mounting militancy along the border, especially after the fall of the Taliban, the Pakistani government opted for a defensive border strategy and started erecting a border fence. Left with few options, in 2017, the Pakistani government switched to an offensive border strategy by giving a shoot-to-kill order against anyone who illegally crosses the border. This article examines the rationale behind Pakistan’s different border strategies by analyzing the security dynamics along the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.