HARD AND SOFT BORDER PARADIGMS: A CASE STUDY OF PAK-AFGHAN BORDER MANAGEMENT

Abstract

Pakistan, located at the crossroads of rich cultures and civilizations, geographically positioned in a perfect but politically complex region, has been in a constant state of turmoil, due to one or the other reason. Pakistan’s internal and foreign policies have been driven by the transnational actors, both regionally and internationally, at times with a heavy cost for her territorial integrity and internal stability. Border issues, almost on all sides specially both eastern and western, have become enormously perplexing as the neighbors are not on soft standings with Pakistan. This paper focuses on border management of Pakistan with her western neighbor Afghanistan, with its plausible rationale for walling the border and its desired results. The shift from a soft and porous border to a hard border mechanism will be discussed in detail. The paradigm shift in the region with its tentative effects in future will also be brought under study. The paper will be concluded with certain viable policy options and recommendations.