Pakistan and Afghanistan

• Pakistan had hoped to establish good relations with Afghanistan after partition, as Afghanistan was both a neighbour and a fellow Muslim state
• The establishment of the borders of India and Pakistan in 1947 led to a border dispute between Pakistan and Afghanistan
• Afghans laid claim to parts of the North West Frontier of the area which voted in favor of joining Pakistan, leading to a border dispute
• Pakistan continued to try to improve relations


  Called official talks in Karachi in 1947
• Demands made by Afghans at the talks

  • Establishment of Pakhtoonistan
  • Right of access to the sea through Pakistan
• Pakistan suggested


  If the demand for Pakhtoonistan were dropped, the access to the sea might be given
• Afghanistan rejected this offer and instead signed a 'trade and transit' agreement with the Soviet Union, gaining access to the sea by way of the Soviet Union and making good relations with Pakistan unnecessary
• Afghans attacked and ransacked the Pakistan embassy in Kabul
• Pakistan closed its border and cut off diplomatic relations for several months in protest, but still hoped to establish better relations
• Iskander Mirza visited Afghanistan
• The government of Pakistan hoped for an alliance, but the government of Afghanistan was not interested in such formal ties
• Afghanistan continued to show opposition to Pakistan
• Afghanistan refused to join the RCD (see page 188) because Pakistan was a member
• The majority of Afghans supported Pakistan in the war against India in 1965, but the Afghan government chose to stay neutral
• Bhutto came to power in Pakistan


  He emphasised an 'Islamic' foreign policy and relations with Afghanistan began to improve
• Bhutto visited Kabul shortly after taking office
• In 1973 Sardar Daud, who had been Prime Minister of Afghanistan and was very hostile to Pakistan, overthrew the monarchy and set himself up as Prime Minister
• Bhutto continued to work to improve relations
• Access to India through Pakistan was granted to Afghan traders and Pakistan made generous contributions to a fund to deal with the consequences of an earthquake in Afghanistan in 1976
• In 1976 Daud and Bhutto visited each others' countries several times, on the encouragement of the Shah of Iran, who wanted these two countries on his borders to be on good terms
• When Zia came to power in 1977, he continued to pursue friendly relations
• In October he visited Kabul and Daud returned the visit in March 1978
• Whilst in Pakistan, Daud made speeches calling for improved relations
• Shortly after this, however, Daud was killed when his government was overthrown
• The situation was unclear as to who was in control in Afghanistan. The new government was communist, but there were many divisions within it
• Consequences of the unclear situation in Afghanistan


  1. Good government proved impossible

  2. In December 1979, the Soviet Union sent an 80,000-strong army to remove the communist leader and replace him

  3. Barbrak Karmal was appointed the head of the government
• The Afghan people put up a resolute resistance to this blatant aggression
• After putting him in power, Soviet troops stayed on to ensure peace
• Soviet troops staying on


  Led to war between the Soviet Union and resistance groups of Afghan mujahideen fighters
• Over 3 million refugees fled from the war to Pakistan over the next year
• Pakistan was praised for its humane treatment of these refugees and it soon became the acknowledged route for channelling assistance to the mujahideen
• The Pakistan army received military aid from the West and was responsible for dividing it amongst the various different mujahideen forces
• The Pakistan military intelligence service also worked with the Afghans in planning operations against Soviet forces
• The Soviet Union tried to prevent Pakistani support for the mujahideen


  Pakistani frontier towns were bombed and there were also explosions in cities across Pakistan
• These attacks were almost certainly the work of Soviet or Afghan infiltrators
• Despite these attacks, President Zia-ul-Haq remained determined in his support for the mujahideen
• As war dragged on


  The Soviet Union began to realise that it was fighting a war it could not win
• Pressure from Pakistan and Afghanistan led to the Soviets withdrawing their army


  14 April 1988
• Zia seemed a hero to many Muslims and to the West. He had played a major part in bringing one of the world's superpowers to accept defeat
• Afghanistan still had a Soviet imposed leader ruling in Kabul. Civil war erupted as the mujahideen tried to remove him from power