Earlier this month, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan formally accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Kabul and in eastern provinces: the Pakistani authorities in Islamabad have neither confirmed nor denied such claims. Amid the confusion, a blast near Kabul’s Abdul Haq Square, initially described as an accident, was later attributed by the Afghan Defense Ministry to Pakistani jets violating Afghan airspace.

What followed has been a sharp enough escalation. The Afghan Taliban launched retaliatory attacks on Pakistani military posts straddling the border in multiple provinces. Fierce clashes erupted, reportedly killing dozens of soldiers and civilians on both sides. Border crossings have been closed, and heavy shelling continues. Is a new war between Islamabad and Kabul breaking out?

To understand what’s happening, one may recall that Afghanistan has long refused to recognize the Durand Line — the 1,600-mile boundary demarcated by the British in 1893. That boundary cuts through the Pashtun heartland, dividing tribes, communities and families. This matters, among other things, because Pashtun ethnic group forms the Taliban’s core, supplying most leaders, fighters, and support in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They dominate key regions like Kandahar and remain essential to the group’s post-2021 power.

In any case, no Afghan government — including the current Taliban regime — has ever formally accepted the Durand Line as legitimate. The decision by........

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