New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- There is much more in common between Afghanistan and Pakistan than there is in dissociation. Both countries share a 2,400 km border, as well as common cultural, and religious ties. Despite these similarities, the relationship between the two countries has always been unfriendly. The roots of this uneasy relationship go back to disputes over the Pashtunistan issue, Durand Line, and Kabul's close relations with New Delhi, which Pakistan has always perceived as a threat.

After the creation of Pakistan, Afghanistan rulers avoided recognizing the Durand Line as an international border between the two countries. Meanwhile, they provided shelter to Pashtun nationalists and Baloch separatists on Afghanistan soil. Consequent...