It is common knowledge that the state of Pakistan came into existence on 14 August 1947, following a long political struggle. Its creation was based on the two-nation theory, and on this principle, British India was divided into two separate countries. But have you ever wondered how and when the borders of this new state were defined? This post focuses on the circumstances under which Pakistan acquired its geographical borders. Notably, each border was established at different times and under different conditions.
We shall begin with the Sindh–India border, the oldest of all the borders of Pakistan. Interestingly, among the historical regions of present-day Pakistan, Sindh is the only one that became part of Pakistan in its entirety; all other regions are only partially included. Sindh is an ancient region, and its borders have remained largely unchanged over the centuries. The British occupied Sindh in 1843 and made it part of the Bombay Presidency. Even during that time, the borders of Sindh were quite distinct. In 1936, Sindh was separated from Bombay and made a separate province. In 1947, Sindh joined Pakistan, and its border with Bombay (later Gujarat and Rajasthan) became the international boundary between Pakistan and India, with a total length of approximately 995 km.
Further northeast of Sindh lay the princely state of Bahawalpur, established in 1727 by Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi. The ruling family, known as the Daodputras, claims descent from the Abbasid caliphs. This family continued to govern the state until it acceded to Pakistan in 1947, with its border with Rajputana becoming part of the international boundary. Bahawalpur acquired its final territorial borders sometime during the 1820s. In 1833, the state entered into a subsidiary alliance with British India. While such alliances curtailed the full autonomy of princely states, they provided greater political and territorial stability. The length of this border is approximately 565 km.
North of Bahawalpur lies Punjab, where the most challenging border had to be determined during the partition of India. This task was assigned to the Radcliffe Commission, which published its award on 17 August 1947, three days after the independence of Pakistan. This section of the border begins where Bahawalpur’s border with India ends and extends up to the border of Kashmir, commonly known as the Radcliffe Line. It is the newest border of Pakistan, with a length of approximately 527 km.
Further northwest of the Working Boundary, the border between Pakistan and India runs through the territories of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This border was originally known as the Ceasefire Line, established following the ceasefire agreed upon between India and Pakistan on 1 January 1949. In the Simla Agreement of 1972, it was renamed the Line of Control (LoC). The LoC starts where Pakistani-controlled Kashmir begins and ends at a point designated NJ980420. Its total length is approximately 740 km.
Before 1984, the LoC was not demarcated beyond NJ9842, and the line was assumed to continue northeast toward the Chinese border, terminating at the Karakoram Pass. Maps prior to this time, and even many today, show this alignment, which placed the entire Siachen Glacier within Pakistan. However, in 1984, Indian forces infiltrated the area, and now the line runs northwest toward the Chinese border, leaving the Siachen Glacier under Indian control. The length of this Siachen section is estimated at around 110 km.
Thus, the total length of the Pakistan–India border, from Sir Creek to the Siachen Glacier, is approximately 3,142 km. This was calculated by tracing the border carefully on Google Earth, while the length of the LoC is cited in Wikipedia articles. The Siachen contact line remains particularly complex: it is not officially demarcated, and no source provides an exact length. Maps showing this segment are extremely limited, except in specific references.
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=7/38.700/66.883
From this point further westward, Pakistan’s border with China begins. It consists of two sections. The first section runs through the Shaksgam Valley, which was formally agreed upon between Pakistan and China in 1962. The second section, north of Gilgit, is much older. Its origins date back at least to the 1840s, when the Dogras began ruling the area, although the boundary may have existed even earlier. In 1947, this region became part of Pakistan, and since then, it has formed Pakistan’s international border with China, with a length of approximately 440 km.
To the west, Pakistan shares a long border with Afghanistan. British influence began penetrating this region in the 1840s. After the Second Anglo-Afghan War, Afghanistan was compelled to cede significant territories to British India under the Treaty of Gandamak, signed in 1879. Later, in 1893, a further agreement definitively demarcated the boundary between Afghanistan and British India. This border, known as the Durand Line, extends for approximately 2,430 km.
On the west, Pakistan shares its border with Iran. British power’s influence penetrated into Balochistan in the 1840s and 1850s. In 1871, a treaty was signed with Iran, and the border was agreed upon between Iran and British India. The length of this border is 909 km.
Good effort, but you're slightly off for territory gained in northern parts of KPK. Chitral and Kohistan districts weren't gained from Afghanistan but were independent Dardic populated territories, especially Chitral was an independent state. Similarly Afghan dyansties never controlled Swat and Sir districts where Yousafzai calms maintained their independence. In short Malakand division was never part of Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteAlso Hunza and Nagir states were under suzerainty of Dogras but not part of Kashmir, they acceded to Pakistan independently of Kashmir.