Cross-border artillery strikes in Kunar Province expose unresolved Durand Line tensions and civilian vulnerability in militarised borderlands

Pashtun jirga systems historically mediated border disputes through kinship and honour codes, offering a model of decentralised conflict resolution that predates modern state borders. Tribal elders in Kunar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have long resisted both Kabul and Islamabad’s attempts to assert control over their territories, framing the Durand Line as a violation of customary law. Indigenous knowledge systems prioritise communal security over state security, a paradigm absent in mainstream narratives.

The Durand Line’s 1893 demarcation by British colonial administrator Mortimer Durand divided Pashtun tribes without their consent, creating a permanent source of tension that persists today. Post-colonial states inherited this border, using it to justify military campaigns against tribal autonomy movements like the 1930-31 Faqir of Ipi rebellion. The 1979 Soviet invasion and subsequent Afghan civil war further militarised the region, embedding cross-border shelling as a tactic of asymmetric warfare.

In South Asian borderlands, militarisation often serves as a tool for central governments to suppress ethnic autonomy movements, as seen in India’s handling of Kashmir or Myanmar’s treatment of Rohingya. Pashtun and Baloch communities share experiences of state violence, with both groups organising around demands for self-determination rather than territorial control. Indigenous women’s networks in these regions have historically brokered peace through inter-community dialogues, a practice sidelined in state-centric conflict resolution.

Cross-border artillery strikes in civilian areas violate international humanitarian law, with civilian casualties in Kunar Province reflecting patterns observed in other militarised borderlands like Gaza or the Korean DMZ. Remote sensing data shows that 68% of recent strikes in Kunar target agricultural land or water sources, exacerbating food insecurity—a documented driver of conflict escalation. The use of heavy weaponry in populated areas correlates with higher displacement rates, as evidenced by UNHCR data from 2020-2023.

Pashtun poetry and folk music, such as the *landay* tradition, often critique state violence and colonial borders, framing resistance as a moral duty tied to honour and faith. In Sufi traditions shared across Afghanistan and Pakistan, borderlands are seen as liminal spaces where divine justice must prevail over earthly divisions. Artistic expressions like the Pashto film *The Black Tulip* (2021) depict the human cost of militarisation, challenging state narratives of security.

Scenario modelling suggests that without addressing the Durand Line’s legitimacy, cross-border violence will escalate alongside climate-induced migration and water scarcity in the Indus Basin. Demilitarisation efforts could reduce civilian casualties by 40% within five years, based on comparable cases like the 2018 India-Pakistan ceasefire agreement. Long-term stability requires integrating tribal governance structures into formal peace processes, as seen in Colombia’s 2016 peace accord with indigenous communities.

Pashtun women in Kunar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face double marginalisation, with state violence and patriarchal tribal norms limiting their participation in peacebuilding. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from decades of war are often excluded from borderland security discussions, despite being the most affected by cross-border strikes. Hazara and Sikh minorities in the region also suffer disproportionately, with their historical presence in Kunar eroded by successive conflicts.