The late Pajhvak's plan on Durand line

By Dr. Najibullah Anwar, Phil. M.A.

After assuming power in 1973, Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan, serving simultaneously as President, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, declared in his government’s policy statement that resolving the Pashtun issue would remain one of Afghanistan’s principal national objectives.

To formulate a coherent policy, Daoud Khan instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to seek the opinion of the late Abdul Rahman Pazhwak, one of Afghanistan’s most experienced diplomats and foreign policy experts. At the time, Pazhwak was serving as Afghanistan’s Ambassador to New Delhi.

Pazhwak’s principal recommendations were as follows:

1. Declaration to the International Community

The Government of Afghanistan should prepare an official declaration for submission to international organizations, particularly the United Nations, affirming that the Afghan nation remains divided. The declaration should emphasize that the Afghan people have never relinquished their national rights and are unwilling to abandon them under any circumstances. However, given the prevailing political and economic conditions, Afghanistan would refrain from taking any unilateral action, recognizing that such action could provoke war between Afghanistan and Pakistan, threaten regional stability, and endanger international peace.

2. Constitutional Recognition

The Government should incorporate into the preamble of the new Constitution a statement recognizing that the Afghan nation is divided and that its historical rights remain unresolved. The Constitution should affirm that these rights are not abandoned but will be pursued peacefully and through appropriate political means when favorable political and economic conditions emerge.

Pazhwak supported this recommendation by referring to constitutional precedents. For example, the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany (1949) reflected the division of the German nation, while the Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan) continued to assert claims over mainland China despite the political division.

Purpose of the Proposal

The primary objective of Pazhwak’s proposal was to provide Afghanistan with a clear, consistent, and legally grounded policy regarding the Durand Line. Rather than relying solely on political rhetoric, the proposal sought to establish a constitutional and diplomatic framework that would preserve Afghanistan’s legal and political position while avoiding military confrontation.

Historically, Afghan governments referred to the principle of self-determination for the Pashtun population and, at times, discussed the possibility of reunification with Afghanistan. However, no comprehensive official policy clarified the future status of Balochistan or the territories regarded by some Afghan leaders as historically disputed. Consequently, Afghanistan’s position remained politically ambiguous during the administrations of both Shah Mahmoud Khan and Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan.

On 22 February 1974, the Islamic Summit Conference was held in Lahore, Pakistan. Owing to strained relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, President Daoud Khan declined to attend the conference and instead appointed Abdul Rahman Pazhwak as Afghanistan’s chief representative.

According to contemporary accounts, the Government of Pakistan requested that the Algerian President, Houari Boumédiène, who chaired the conference, prevent any political controversy involving the Afghan delegation. President Boumédiène subsequently arranged a telephone conversation with President Daoud Khan. Through the mediation of several Islamic countries, relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan gradually improved.

As diplomatic relations normalized, Pazhwak’s proposed constitutional and international strategy concerning the Durand Line was never formally implemented. Nevertheless, his recommendations remain a significant example of an attempt to develop a long-term, peaceful, and legally informed Afghan policy on one of the country’s most enduring foreign policy issues.(1)

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1.This account is based on the report of an Afghan diplomat who was serving at the Afghan Embassy in New Delhi at the time. When Pazhwak as Ambassador served

The report provides a firsthand account of the policy discussions and recommendations concerning the Durand Line during Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan’s government