# Rupture with Pakistan and the Border Closure (1961 – May 1963)

URL: https://allhistories.com/afghanistan/timeline/1961-rupture-with-pakistan-and-the-border-closure
Location: Torkham and Chaman border
Themes: Pakistan, Trade

In 1961 Pakistan closed its borders and Afghanistan severed diplomatic relations. The break followed the failed incursions into Bajaur in 1960 and 1961, in which Pakistan used F-86 Sabre jets. The Soviet Union became Afghanistan's principal trading partner. Bilateral trade stopped for about eighteen months. Landlocked Afghanistan depended on transit through Pakistan, and the closure meant hardship for traders and farmers who exported fruit and carpets. Kabul turned to Soviet routes and aid, and Afghan officials such as the prime minister found their position undermined. Border closures hurt fruit exports and cross-border commerce in particular. Daoud Khan was forced to resign in March 1963 and the border reopened in May 1963 under King Zahir Shah. Ties were re-established after his ouster. In the mid-1960s Pakistan promoted Pashtuns into senior military and government posts, and support for an independent Pashtunistan had largely faded by then, according to Wikipedia. At this point in the timeline (1961), the Kingdom of Afghanistan was under Mohammad Zahir Shah, king of Afghanistan (8 November 1933 – 17 July 1973), with Prime Minister Mohammad Daoud Khan (7 September 1953 – 10 March 1963) heading the government. The main location of this event lies outside present-day Afghanistan.

## Why it matters
The closure showed the cost of the border dispute for a landlocked country and increased its trade dependence on the Soviet Union.

Ruler at the Time: [Mohammad Zahir Shah](https://allhistories.com/afghanistan/rulers/mohammad-zahir-shah)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Afghanistan–Pakistan relations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan–Pakistan_relations)
- [Wikipedia — Mohammed Daoud Khan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Daoud_Khan)