Pakistan and Afghanistan: Myths vs Facts

This is basically a three-part blog written on the Pak-Afghan issue after some heated twitter
exchanges (:p) between the writer and some Afghan tweeps.

PART-1: DURAND LINE: MYTHS vs FACTS

Durand Line is the 2200+ km border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, from Wakhan-GB-Xinjiang
Confluence (where Pakistan, Afghanistan and China meet) in the North to Chagai-Nimroz-Zahedan
confluence in the South (where Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran meet). The border was jointly drawn up
in the 1890s between the Govt of British India (predecessor of Pakistan) and the Ameer of Afghanistan,
according the provisions of the Durand Line Agreement. The Durand Line Agreement was inked
between Sir Henry Mortimer Durand (on behalf of British Indian Govt) and Ameer Abdul Rahman
(Ameer/King of Afghanistan) on 12 November 1893 at Kabul, Afghanistan. Ever since the
independence of Pakistan in 1947, the Afghan govt has time and again announced that it doesnt
recognize the Durand Line as an international border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. For their part,
the Afghan side presents several arguments to support their view on the issue. Here we examine each
of these arguments critically and on the basis of FACTS.
Argument # 1) Durand Line Agreement had a life of 100 years, so it expired in 1993.
FACT: This is simply not true. Text of the original Durand Line Agreement is attached in pics. It
does not have any clause that makes it time-barred; 10 or 100 or even 1000 years.

Afghanistan and Pakistan: Myths vs Facts

By: Shah Zalmay Khan (@Zalmayx)

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Afghanistan and Pakistan: Myths vs Facts

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Argument # 2) Durand Line Agreement was signed by Ameer Abdul Rahman against his will
(under duress & British pressure) and without consulting the other Afghan govt functionaries.
FACT: Durand Line Agreement was signed on 12 November 1893 but it was actually a brief principal
document with a few paragraphs (without any detailed surveys and real-time demarcation of the
2200+ km long border). The actual demarcation was carried out by four commissions constituted for
the purpose jointly by the British Indian govt and Ameer of Afghanistan:1.
2.
3.
4.

Hindukush Commission (Wakhan to Khyber)

Kurram Commission (Kurram region upto Tochi)
Waziristan Commission (Waziristan region upto Gomal)
Balochistan Commission (Gomal to Pak-Afg-Iran Tri-Junction)

The four commissions demarcated Seven different sections of Durand Line from 1894~96 as under:

Sir Richard Udny (British Side) and Sardar Ghulam Haider Khan (Afghan side) demarcated the
border from Charkhao Pass (Chitral) upto Nawa Pass (Bajaur) via an agreement dated 9 April
1895. (Note: The region from Nawa Pass via Mohmand upto Sikaram peak remained disputed
and was settled by the Rawalpindi Anglo-Afghan Agreement of 1919).
J. Donald and Sardar Shireen Dil Khan demarcated the boundary from Sikaram peak to Laram
peak (Tochi) via an agreement dated 21 November 1894.
H.A Anderson with local Afghan Chiefs nominated by the Ameer demarcated two sections of
the boundary; from Laram peak to Charkhil and onwards to Khwaja Khidr (Birmal) via two
separate agreements both dated 15 April 1895.
L. W. King with local Afghan Chiefs nominated by the Ameer demarcated the boundary from
Khwaja Khidr to Domandi (Gomal) via an agreement dated 8 March 1895.
A. H. McMahon with Sardar Gul Muhammad Khan demarcated the boundary from Domandi to
New Chaman via an agreement dated 26 February 1895.
A. H. McMahon with Sardar Muhammad Umar Khan demarcated the boundary from New
Chaman to Koh-i-Malik Siah at the tri-junction with Iran via an agreemnt dated 13 May 1896.

Does the work of these boundary commissions (involving dozens of high-ranking Afghan govt
officials and tribal chiefs) spanning 2-3 years even remotely look like the Durand Line Agreement
was done under duress by a lone Ameer without taking his govt onboard?
One interesting point in this regard: The Afghan Ameer got an annual allowance of Rs 1.8
million from the British govt as a result of the Durand Line Agreement. This amount was happily
accepted year after year, by Ameer after Ameer until 1919, when the allowance was terminated by
British govt, as punishment for starting the 3rd Anglo-Afghan War. You do not get happily paid (and
insist on being paid) for 26 long years for an agreement you sign under duress. Do you? :)
Note: For all the talk of duress/forced signature, the Afghanis actually gained thousands square km area
that didn't belong to them prior to 1893. Never heard of it? Yes because the Afghanis never tell you
that :) Afghanistan got the previously independent Kafiristan region (North of Kunar, upto
Badakhshan). Ameer Abdul Rahman annexed this area AFTER Durand Line agreement; forceconverted its population to Islam and named the region Nuristan. This is the fruit of Durand Line that
Afghanistan reaped, without ever acknowledging it :)
Afghanistan and Pakistan: Myths vs Facts

By: Shah Zalmay Khan (@Zalmayx)

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Argument # 3) Durand Line Agreement was a short term agreement made by Ameer Abdul
Rahman with the British govt and it expired with his death in 1901.
FACT: As appealing as this argument sounds to the Afghans, facts in this respect are different. Durand
Line Agreement was ratified by successive Afghan rulers after Ameer Abdul Rahman, as under:

After death of Ameer Abdul Rahman, his son Ameer Habibullah Khan and British
representative Sir Louis Dane reaffirmed the agreement by signing The Treaty of the Mole
(also known as Dane-Habibullah agreement), on 21 March 1905, at Kabul.
After 3rd Anglo-Afghan War, Afghan govt mission led by Interior Minister Ali Ahmad Khan
signed the Rawalpindi Agreement on 8 August 1919 which reaffirmed the Durand Line
Agreement. Incidentally, it was first time that the Afghan Govt (not Ameer in personal capacity)
ratified the Durand Line Agreement.
On 22 November 1921, the Kabul Agreement was signed by British Representative Sir Henry
R.C Dobbs and Afghan govt minister Mahmood Tarzi, which again re-affirmed the Durand Line
Agreement.

Argument # 4) Durand Line Agreement was between British India and Afghanistan. With the
division of British India in 1947 (into Pakistan and India), the said agreement also expired.
FACT: The Vienna Convention on Succession of States in Respect of Treaties (VCSSRT) deals with
issues pertaining to succession of states. Article 11 of this convention clearly states that succession of
states cannot impact

International border agreed upon in result of an agreement, and

Rights and obligations concerning international border created through an agreement.

For their part, the Afghan side comes up with two excuses, saying VCSSRT cant be applied in the
Pakistan-Afghanistan context because:

Afghanistan is not a signatory to VCSSRT.

VCSSRT (drafted 1978 and enforced 1996) is not enforceable retrospectively so it pre-dates
Pakistans creation.

However, these excuses dont have much weight for fol reasons: It is immaterial whether a country agrees to a convention or not. VCSSRT has been ratified by
numerous countries including Pakistan and is an acceptable international protocol on the subject.
VCSSRT explicitly states that issues beyond its scope (e.g. those pre-dating its enforcement)
will be dealt in accordance with customary international law which in turn does not support
Afghanistans stance that Durand Line became invalid after creation of Pakistan. The same has
been stated in clear terms by world powers like USA, UK, China and EU at various occasions.
Point to ponder: Afghanistans borders with Central Asia (then Russia), China and Iran were
demarcated by the British. How come Afghanistans Establishment circles (historically led by Tajiks /
Uzbeks / Hazaras) only have issue with the Pakistan border (demarcated with Afghan rulers consent)
and are perfectly okay with all other borders in which Afghans had no say at all? Why does the Afghan
Establishment pitch Afghanistans Pashtuns against their Pukhtoon counterparts in Pakistan, on such
clumsy myths as those deconstructed above? This is a point for Afghanistans Pashtuns to ponder.
Afghanistan and Pakistan: Myths vs Facts

By: Shah Zalmay Khan (@Zalmayx)

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PART-2: PASHTUNISTAN: MYTHS vs FACTS

Pashtunistan or Pukhtoonistan is a purported region on the common border of Pakistan and
Afghanistan that includes North-West+West Pakistan (KP, FATA and Balochistan from Zhob upto
Chaghai) and South+East+Central Afghanistan (from Kunar to Farah and Nangarhar to Oruzgan).
Afghanistan claims that this region should be a geographical unit and of course, a part of Loy
Afghanistan (Greater Afghanistan). In plain words, Afghanistan claims that the Pakistani territory upto
Attock Bridge (west of the Indus River) belongs to Afghanistan. The claim has been a spoiler in the
bilateral relations of Pakistan and Afghanistan ever since 1947.

For their part; the Afghan side presents several arguments to support their view on the issue. Here, we
examine each of these arguments critically and on the basis of FACTS.
.
Argument # 1) Durand Line, the frontier between British India and Afghanistan that
purportedly divided the Pashtunistan region, is dead. So the region must be re-united post1947.
FACT: Durand Line Agreement was neither time-bound (no 100-year expiry as believed by many in
Afghanistan) nor it was an agreement done by Ameer Abdul Rahman without consulting his govt
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(Durand Line demarcation took 3 years from 1894-96 with extensive involvement of Afghan govt).
The Durand Line Agreement was not a one-off affair by Ameer Abdul Rahman (as it was ratified by
Afghan Ameer Habibullah Khan in 1905; again by Afghan govt in 1919 and yet again in 1921). Also
Durand Line didnt expire with Indian partition because International Laws on succession of States
coincide with Pakistans stance. Moreover, international community (UN, USA, UK etc) have
repeatedly endorsed Pakistans stance on the issue and Afghanistan never got any serious buyers for its
version, ever.
Detailed arguments and facts on Durand Line are covered in part-1 (Durand Line: Myths & Facts).
.
Argument # 2) Pakistan forcibly annexed the Pashtun-majority areas on its side of the
Durand Line. Thus Pakistan is an Occupying Force for Pakistani Pashtuns.
FACT: Pakistan did NOT annex Pashtun areas forcibly. Instead, Pashtuns of FATA, NWFP and
Balochistan made a conscious choice (out of their free will) to join Pakistan. Details are as follows.
NWFP (1947 Referendum): As per partition plan of British India, a referendum was called in NWFP
in July 1947 to ascertain the choice of NWFP Pashtuns on joining Pakistan (Jinnahs option) or India
(Congress option). Few facts about the referendum are in order here:

Both Indian National Congress (Nehru) and Muslim League (Jinnah) agreed to the referendum
plan. NWFP Chapter of Congress tried to persuade Nehru to boycott the referendum but he
refused.
Voter lists for referendum were the ones used in 1946 provincial elections (won in NWFP by
Congress).
NWFP Governor Sir Olaf Caroe was replaced on insistence of Congress just 2 weeks before the
referendum (19 Jun 1947) and Sir Rob Lockhart who enjoyed Congresss confidence, was made
Governor.
Referendum was conducted under NWFPs Congress-led Govt (CM Dr. Khan Saheb, brother of
Baacha Khan)
Number of eligible voters: 572,798.
Number of votes polled: 292,118 (51% turnout)
Baacha Khan announced boycott of the referendum and asked Pashtuns to refrain from voting.
However, NWFP public largely rejected the boycott call as shown by 51% turnout (nearly same
as that in provincial elections of 1946)
Number of votes for Pakistan: 289,244 (99%)
Number of votes against Pakistan: 2,874 (less than 1%)

FATA (Tribal Jirgas 1947-48): Pakistan inherited FATA as a semi-administered region from British
Raj on 14 August 1947. However, NWFP Governor George Cunningham, on behalf of Jinnah, held
Jirgas with all FATA tribes in November 1947 in which the tribes agreed on joining Pakistan.
Afterwards Jinnah signed the Instrument of Accession accepting the tribes officially into Pakistan, at
the Bannu tribal Jirga of all tribes in January 1948. Also, at the Peshawar Grand Tribal Jirga in April
1948, the tribesmen re-affirmed their allegiance to Pakistan.
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In fact, tribesmen became Pakistans first line of defence soon, when they responded to Jinnahs call
for freeing Kashmir in 1948. You do not fight for a country that has forcibly annexed you, right?
Participation of thousands of tribesmen in Kashmir battles (1948) is proof that they were loyal
Pakistanis from Day-1.
Pashtun areas of Balochistan (Shahi Jirga 1947): As per the partition plan, Balochistans Shahi Jirga
was convened on 30 June 1947 on orders of the Viceroy. The Jirga comprising tribal elders from all
British-controlled areas of Balochistan and the Quetta Municipality voted overwhelmingly to join
Pakistan.
Therefore, the myth that Pashtuns were forcibly annexed by Pakistan is a historical lie. Pashtuns made
a democratic choice of joining Pakistan.
.
Argument #3) Pashtun areas of Pakistan were historically part of Afghanistan; so they should
be returned to Afghanistan.
FACT: Pashtun areas of Pakistan were NOT historically part of Afghanistan. In fact there was no
country by the name of Afghanistan until 1700s. Even the present-day Afghanistan was divided among
various Empires historically. Upto 1700s, North Afghanistan (including Balkh) was part of Bukhara
Khanate, West+South Afghanistan (including Qandahar and Herat) was part of Iranian Safavid Empire
and East Afghanistan (including Kabul) was part of Mughal Empire of India. And Mughals themselves
were NOT Afghans as some would tell you; they were Central Asians.
The first signs of todays Afghanistan appeared in early 1700s when Mirwais Hotak freed Qandahar
from Iranian rule. Herat became part of Afghanistan in 1740s. Balkh was captured in 1750s but later
lost to Uzbeks again. Ahmad Shah Durrani captured North India (Peshawar to Delhi) in 1750s by
defeating Marathas but all was lost within a few years of Ahmad Shahs death in 1773.
Peshawar became part of Sikh Empire in 1818 and later fell to the British in late 1840s and remained so
upto 1947, when NWFP joined Pakistan.
Crux: Pashtun areas of Afghanistan were NOT historically part of Afghanistan, except a brief period
of Durrani rule (max 60-70 years). But in that era, even Lahore and Multan were held by Afghans, so
should they be ceded to Afghanistan too?
Anyway, this argument of historical part is fallacious per se because by those standards, Kabul was
once part of Indian Empire; Gulf was mostly part of Ottoman Turkish Empire; 3/4th of Asia was once
part of Mongol Empire; South America was part of Spanish Empire; whole Africa was European
dominion and half the known world was once part of British Empire. So what should be done? Give
Kabul to India, Mecca to Turkey, Asia to Mongolia, Chile to Spain, Africa to Germans/French/Dutch
and the USA to British? Logically fallacious argument; but then which of Afghanistans arguments is
not fallacious?
.
Argument # 4) Pashtuns on Pakistans side of Durand Line should be annexed with
Afghanistan due to similar language and customs.
FACT: There is no law in the world that allows any country to claim territory of another country due
to similar language / customs of some shared ethnic group. If this was the case, India could claim
Pakistani Punjab or conversely Pakistan could claim Indian Punjab; Bangladesh could claim West
Bengal (India); India could claim Northern Sri Lankas Jaffna peninsula (Tamil majority); Arab states
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could claim each others territory based on shared language; France could claim Quebec (Canada)
based on common French language and so on. There would be no order anywhere in the world if
Afghanistans argument was accepted. Lets point out some interesting demographic facts here:

Pashtun population in Afghanistan: 15 million approx.

Pashtun population in Pakistan: 30 million approx.

If indeed shared language/culture is an argument, then the smaller Pashtun body (15m in Afghanistan)
should join the larger Pashtun body (30m in Pakistan).
The Pashtun areas of Afghanistan should make a formal request to join Pakistan; rest assured, it
will get a sympathetic ear.
.
Argument # 5) Pashtuns in Pakistan are enslaved by the Punjabi majority, with no rights and
future prospects, so they should join Afghanistan.
FACT: As appealing as this argument sounds to the Afghans, facts in this respect are different.
Pashtuns in Pakistan are far more educated, far more developed, far more established, and have a far
better future prospect than those in Afghanistan. From businesses to political parties, from top military
posts to media presence, Pashtuns play a vibrant role in Pakistans development. Otherwise, why would
millions of Afghanistans Pashtuns leave their country to live as refugees in Pakistan? And why would
Pakistani Pashtuns want to join a landlocked country that depends on Pakistan for its trade and transit
routes anyway?
If Afghanistan cant take care of its own 15m Pashtuns, how is it going to support the 30m
Pakistani Pashtuns?
.
Point to ponder: We, Pakistani Pashtuns have many many things on our mind in Pakistan. BUT rest
assured, Pashtunistan or Loy Afghanistan is NOT one of them. We may have serious issues with
other provinces (Sindh / Punjab) over economic / development opportunities and share in national
resources of Pakistan but that is completely an internal matter of Pakistan.
Afghanistans Pashtuns should focus on rebuilding their own country instead of dreaming to somehow
carve out a Pashtunistan out of Pakistan.
This will be for the greater good of the Pashtuns on both sides of the Pak Afghan International
borderline, from Wakhan to Torkham and Chaman to Koh-i-Malik Siah (Chaghai).

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PART-3: PAKISTAN RUINED AFGHANISTAN? MYTHS vs FACTS

Pakistan ruined Afghanistan. Pakistan uses Afghanistan for Strategic Depth. Pakistan founded
Afghan Jehad. Pakistan gave birth to Taliban. Pakistan uses proxies to destabilize Afghanistan. So on
and so forth.
Anybody who has interacted with Afghanistans citizens or with ANP/PkMAP supporters must have
heard some or all of these unqualified sweeping statements. These statements paint Pakistan as a Darth
Vader that is up to ruining the innocent Afghanistan. Why? What has Afghanistan done to deserve
this? Can there be any possible grey areas in the midst of this Black Pakistan vs White Afghanistan
narrative? Anything to the effect?
Well no. You never hear the other side of the story. In fact the one-sided story has been repeated so
much that even Pakistani literate circles (especially the so-called desi liberals) have accepted it as Holy
Bible. Why? Because they either lack the basic knowledge of Af-Pak history or choose to ignore the
other side of the story due to their personal ideological biases (especially against the so-called
Establishment).
And if someone does try to present some counter-arguments to this one-sided narrative, he/she is
conveniently branded Pakistan Studies Affectee or ISI-agent or Punjabi Daal-Khor. Hold your
breath.
The Pakistan-Afghanistan relation is anything but a Black-And-White affair. It has shades of grey; it
always had, from Day-1 in 1947 to this date. Here we present some events, in chronological order and
then we will debate the arguments of the Afghan side critically and on the basis of FACTS.
Before you go for the Pak Afghan relations timeline, it may be helpful to read these two relevant
blogs (will make it easier to put the info in this blog into perspective):
Durand Line: Myths and Facts.
Pashtunistan: Myths and Facts.
Okay, back to the topic. Here you go with the Pak Afghan relations timeline.

14 Aug 1947: Pakistan was founded. A country having fractured institutions, almost no
economy, weak military and apparently bleak future, fighting for survival in the face of a giant
hostile neighbour like India at its throat.
September 1947: Afghanistan became the ONLY country to vote against Pakistans
membership of United Nations. Keep in mind the weak situation of Pakistan while considering
this extremely hostile beginning by Afghanistan.
September 1947: Pashtunistan flag was raised alongside Afghan national flag in Kabul.
September 1947: Afghanistan started arming and funding proxies in the border areas (e.g.
Afridi Sarishtas and Ipi Faqir) for the Liberation of Pashtunistan. This led to skirmishes
between Pakistani forces and Afghan proxies.
June 1949: While pursuing miscreants who attacked Pakistani border posts from Afghanistan, a
PAF warplane inadvertently bombed the Afghan village of Moghulgai on the Waziristan
border.

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July 1949: A Loya Jirga held by Afghan govt at Kabul unilaterally denounced all treaties related
to Pak-Afghan international border and announced full support for Pashtunistan. 31 August
was declared as Pashtunistan Day which was regularly commemorated by Afghan govt every
year.
1948-1949: Afghan-supported proxies announced the formation of Pashtunistan in Tirah
(Khyber) and Razmak (Waziristan), with Ipi Faqir as President.
1950: Afghan airforce planes dropped leaflets in support of Pashtunistan, inside Pakistans
tribal areas.
Sep-Oct 1950: Afghan army with artillery support attacked Dobandi area of Balochistan and
occupied a strategic pass with the aim to cut off Chaman-Quetta Railway link. Pak army rushed
reinforcements to the area and retook the pass after a weeks fighting.
1950-51: Three Afghan-led Lashkars attacked Pakistani areas across Durand Line in Khyber
Agency.
Afghanistan declared the miscreants as Freedom Fighters and used its official Radio and Press
for non-stop Pashtunistan propaganda.
Pakistan responded by using go slow approach on Afghanistans trade transit routes.
16 October 1951: Pakistani PM Liaquat Ali Khan was shot dead in Rawalpindi by an Afghan
national Said Akbar Babrak. Afghanistans govt disowned his act.
Afghanistans material+propaganda support for Pashtunistan miscreants continued unabated
throughout the 1950s.
30 March 1955: Pakistans diplomatic missions in Kabul, Qandahar, Jalalabad were attacked at
the behest of Afghan govt and Pashtunistan flag was hoisted on the chancery of Pakistan
Embassy in Kabul.
September 1959: Afghan King Zahir Shah and PM Sardar Daud reaffirmed their support for
Pashtunistan.
September 1960: Afghan army troops and militias attacked Bajaur. The attack was repulsed by
Bajauri tribesmen with help of SSG forces from Cherat. An account of the battle is here in this
declassified US Embassy document.

March 1961: Afghanistan supplied arms and ammunition to proxies led by Pacha Gul in
Bajaurs Batmalai area for an uprising. The ammunition dump was destroyed by PAF aerial
bombing.
May 1961: Thousands of Afghan troops disguised as militias attacked Bajaur, Jandul and
Khyber. The attacks were repulsed by tribesmen with support of Frontier Corps and aerial
bombing by PAF warplanes. President Ayub warned the Afghan side against unprovoked
escalations.

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Afghanistans official annual gazette (Afghanistan Kalany) propagated outrageous claims on

Pashtunistan regularly. A couple of snapshots from the 1961 gazette are shown here. The 1961
gazette alone narrated the deaths of thousands of Pakistani soldiers in miscreant attacks by
Milli Mujahideen of Pashtunistan; obviously a pack of lies (Talk about proxy wars though :p ).

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6 September 1961: Diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan were cut off after
Pakistan decided to restrict Afghan transit trade due to its continuous support for Pashtunistan
proxies. The relations were resumed two years later, in 1963, when Sardar Doud (the main
engine behind Pashtunistan) resigned as PM.

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September 1964: Afghan Loya Jirga again reiterated support for Pashtunistan (though much
mildly than in past).
1964-1972: Relative calm in relations due to Afghanistans domestic power struggle issues and
democracy experiments. The Pashtunistan issue went on backburner and Pak-Afghan relations
normalized to such extent that Afghanistan remained neutral in 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars
and didnt try to trouble Pakistan. However, Pashtunistan propaganda by Radio Kabul
continued unabated, giving fabricated accounts of hundreds of killings on Pakistani side
annually.
1972-73: Afghanistan restarted support for Pashtunistan; intensified Radio Kabul propaganda
and sheltered NAP activists led by Ajmal Khattak.
July 1973: Sardar Doud led a
bloodless military coup to
overthrow King Zahir Shah
and declared himself
President. One of the
reasons he quoted for the
coup was Zahir Shahs
supposedly soft approach on
Pashtunistan.
Afghan official gazette
published the Pashtunistan
flag (image attached) and
also ran inflammatory
reports about terrorist
activities of Pashtunistan
miscreants. Radio Kabuls propaganda reached a peak.
1973: In response to renewed Pashtunistan focus by Afghanistan, Pakistani PM Z.A.Bhutto
authorized a tit-for-tat response to Afghanistan. IGFC Naseerullah Babar was tasked to train
dissident Afghans for proxy purposes inside Afghanistan. This was Pakistans first act to use
proxies against Afghanistan, after 26-year long proxy war perpetrated by Afghanistan in the
name of Pashtunistan (1947-73).
Feb 1974: Afghan animosity to Pakistan was so great that Afghan President Doud didnt
participate in the OIC Leaders Summit held in Lahore. Abdul Rahman Pazhwak, the Afghan
delegate at the summit, tried to raise Pashtunistan issue on this Unity forum too but got
snubbed as no Muslim countrys leader paid any heed.
1973-78: Soon after Doud assumed power, Afghan govt started supporting the Baloch
insurgents fighting against Pakistan. Afghanistan sheltered thousands of Marri tribesmen and
gave them training+weapons for militant activities inside Pakistan. Pakistan crushed the
insurgency with Iranian military support.

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1973-78: Afghan govt under Doud continued

to support the Pashtunistan proxies. NAPs
militant wing Pakhtun Zalmay was funded /
trained / armed by Kabul for terrorist attacks
in Pakistan. These facts have been confirmed
by Jumma Khan Sufi, a close aide of Ajmal
Khattak, in his memoirs Faraib e Na Tamam.
Sufi remained in exile for 20 years in
Afghanistan and was involved in the Afghan
proxy activities in Pakistan.
1973-onwards: Not only was Afghanistan
supporting NAP terrorism in Pakistan itself, it
also became a hub for Indian interference
into Pakistan via Pashtunistan and
Balochistan proxies. NAP leaders were paid
monthly stipends and funds by Indian govt as
admitted by Jumma Khan Sufi in his memoirs.
February 1975: Hayat Khan Sherpao, Senior PPP minister and ex-Governor NWFP, was killed in
a bomb blast. The assassination was carried out by NAP militant wing operating out of
Afghanistan (as confirmed by Jumma Khan Sufi some three decades later).
April 1978: Afghan President Doud and his whole family massacred in the Soviet-sponsored
Saur Revolution. The new pro-Communist regime announced all-out support for Pashtunistan.
December 1979: Soviet secret service KGB assassinated Afghanistans President Hafizullah
Amin and nearly 100,000 Soviet forces entered Afghanistan. Babrak Karmal was installed as
President by Soviets who pledged to free the holy land of Pashtunistan (from Pakistan).
January 1980: UN General Assembly passed resolution on Afghanistan and asked unequivocally
for pull-out of Soviet forces from Afghanistan.
OIC also held an extra-ordinary session of OIC Foreign Ministers in which the leaders of
Afghanistan resistance movement narrated the ordeal of Afghans at the hands of Soviet
invaders. OIC condemned the Soviet invasion in a joint resolution of Islamic countries.
1980-1991: Every year UN passed a resolution condemning Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
There are a total 13 such UN resolutions.
1979-81: Soon after the Soviet occupation, millions of Afghans were forced to flee their homes
by Soviet atrocities especially aerial bombing of rural Afghanistan. KGB and its Afghan front
KHAD (led by Dr Najibullah) made life hell for anybody who even dared to speak against the
Communist regime. Thousands of innocents Afghans were killed brutally in KHAD torture cells
across Afghanistan. These worn-down Afghans entered Pakistan and Iran in search of shelter.

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Pakistan, not being signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, was not legally bound to
shelter the millions refugees. However, in good brotherly faith, Pakistan accepted this burden
on its economy and already limited resources. Nearly 3 million Afghan refugees were housed in
refugee camps in KP and Balochistan. Many more spread into cities from Peshawar to Lahore
to Karachi in search of work or businesses. Unlike Iran, Pakistan didnt stop the mingling of
Afghan refugees into Pakistani society so as to facilitate them (something that proved
disastrous for Pakistan in the long run).
1980-89: With a Superpower (USSR) knocking at its Western border, Pakistan felt genuinely
threatened. The prospect of a direct Soviet invasion or indirect Pashtunistan proxy war was
enough to alarm Islamabad and force it into full throttle against the regime in Kabul. Pakistan,
USA, China and Arab countries made an alliance to counter the Soviet threat using the
legitimate Afghan resistance movement that already existed in Afghanistan. With funds from

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USA and Arab states; technical support from CIA; weapons from China; training and
coordination support from ISI, the Afghan resistance movement consisting of various groups
took on the Soviet forces and their Afghan comrades.
Main Afghan resistance groups were Hizb-e-Islami (Hekmatyar), Jamiat-e-Islami of Rabbani
(including Massoud's Shura-e-Nezar), Hizb-e-Islami (Khaalis), Ittehad-e-Islami (Sayyaf), Harkate-Inquilab-e-Islami (Nabi Mohammedi), Mahaz-e-Islami (Gilani), Jabha Milli Nijat (Mojaddedi)
and the so-called 'Tehran Eight block' of several Shia groups, chief among them (Abdul Ali
Mazari's Nasr group).
The Afghan resistance against Soviets had strong backing of repeated UN and OIC resolutions.
Also the suffering of common Afghans at the hands of Soviets was not something that could
have been ignored. Couple with that the activities of Soviet+Afghan proxies in Pakistan (from
bombings to target killings to plane hijacking), Pakistan had little choice but to support the
resistance. Afghanistan continued to host/fund/train/arm Pashtunistan proxies as well as
terrorist groups like Al-Zulfiqar throughout 1980s.
1980s: Hundreds of Pakistanis were killed in terrorist attacks staged by KHAD and corss-border
raids conducted by Soviet/Afghan forces including aerial bombing. A glimpse of the attacks in a
brief period of 1987-88 is shown in pic.

Afghanistan and Pakistan: Myths vs Facts

By: Shah Zalmay Khan (@Zalmayx)

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1989: Soviet forces officially left Afghanistan (although large numbers of Soviet military
advisors remained in Afghanistan upto 1992).
1989-1992: Afghan resistance groups continued fighting against the Communist regime of
President Dr Najibullah installed by Soviets. Village after village, City after city and province
after province fell to the resistance movement.
1992: Dr Najibullah regime was overthrown and Afghan resistance groups captured Kabul.
Pakistan facilitated the Peshawar Accord for a consensus govt in Afghanistan and Sibghatullah
Mojadedi was made transition President, succeeded by Burhanuddin Rabbani.
Could the Afghan War be managed better? This is open to debate; especially since the aftereffects of Soviet departure from Afghanistan couldnt be managed well due to internal fighting
of various resistance groups.
1992-1994: Different factions fought for control of Kabul and other major Afghan cities. Hezbe-Wahdat (backed by Iran), Ittihad-e-Islami (backed by Arabs), Hezb-e-Islami (backed by
Pakistan), Junbash-e-Milli (Uzbeks), Jamiat-e-Islami and Shura-e-Nazar (Tajiks), Harkat-Inquilab
(Nabi Muhammadi), Molvi Khalis and Jalaluddin Haqqanis forces and countless local warlords
fought each other for power. Afghanistan was literally a mess; USA abandoned the resistance
movement after Soviet withdrawal and ALL players were playing their own game.
August 1994: Taliban movement emerged under Mullah Omar in Qandahar. The movement
pledged to end the atrocities of the so-called Toopakiyan (warlords). Therefore, it was largely
welcomed by the public who were sick of the civil war.
October 1994: Emergence of Taliban movement didnt go unnoticed in Islamabad. Pakistan
was fed up with the civil war because its hopes that millions of Afghans burdening its economy
would return to their homeland were failed by the civil war. Since majority of Taliban were
refugee students of madressas in Balochistan, it was natural that Pakistan saw an ally in them.
Although Pakistan was accused of arming the Taliban, it sounds ridiculous keeping in view the
fact that Afghanistan already was a big dump of Soviet-era weapons. Taliban captured
weapons including tanks from local warlords and with a steady supply of religiously-motivated
fighters, they soon marched beyond Qandahar and by September 1996, controlled Kabul.
Contrary to popular beliefs, Pakistan was not the only player supporting Taliban. Different
Afghan resistance groups like Massoud, Dostum, Mazari etc supported the Taliban at some or
other point of time.
1996-2001: Taliban ruled Afghanistan and the country saw relative peace for the first time in
decades, except in the North where Taliban battled Ahmad Shah Massouds forces, throught
their 5-year rule. Taliban actions and their harsh style of governance was not liked by many
Afghans but resentment grew steadily amongst the public.
Oct~Nov 2001: USA-led coalition attacked Afghanistan and removed Taliban from power.
Taliban regime collapsed in the face of severe aerial bombing by USA/NATO and ground
advance by Northern Alliance forces. By December 2001, Taliban had vanished from the
Afghan scene; many of them fled to neighbouring Pakistan.

Afghanistan and Pakistan: Myths vs Facts

By: Shah Zalmay Khan (@Zalmayx)

Page 18

2002-2014: Taliban resistance to US occupation was very weak initially (upto 2005). It was
hoped that Afghanistan would finally find stability but the Karzai administration failed to seize
the moment. Widespread corruption and warlord-ism under Karzai rule paved way for the
return of Taliban. Year-after-year Taliban activities gained momentum as US/NATO forces
battled them across Afghanistan.
In the meanwhile a Pakistani Taliban movement (TTP) rose in Pakistans tribal areas with links
across the border. Thousands of Pakistanis including security forces and civilians died in TTP
attacks. Today, whole top leadership of TTP, from Mullah Fazlullah to Omar Khalid Khurasani
and Khalid Sajna to Omar Narai (APS attack mastermind) is based in Afghanistan.

Keeping above narrated history in perspective, now we come back to the original myths of Pakistan
ruined Afghanistan via proxies. I have few questions to ask and within these fifteen questions rests the
answer to all Afghan myths on Pak-Afghan relations. The questions are:
ROOTS OF THE PAK-AFGHAN ENMITY:
1) Who refused to accept the very existence of the other from Day-1 and thus sowed seeds of
bitterness in the neighbour relationship? Pakistan or Afghanistan?
2) Who started the use of proxies against the other to further political goals, ever since 1947?
Pakistan or Afghanistan?
3) Who FIRST started use of terrorism and militancy against the other as a means of achieving
strategic political objectives? Pakistan or Afghanistan?
SOVIET INVASION / COMMUNIST REGIME:
1) Who staged coup after coup in Afghanistan in the 1970s? Did Pakistan stage Douds coup in
1973? Did Pakistan massacre Douds family in 1978 coup? Did Pakistan murder Tarakai in
Amins coup? Did Pakistan murder Amin in the December 1979 coup?
2) Did Pakistan invite Soviet Union to attack Afghanistan? To send thousands of tanks,
hundreds of jets and helicopters to bomb Afghan villages and towns and make millions of
Afghans homeless?
3) Did Pakistan request millions of Afghan refugees to leave their homes and come to Pakistan
to live in refugee camps? Did Pakistan stop them from returning to Afghanistan?
4) Were the Afghan resistance commanders (Rabbani, Hekmatyar, Massoud, Haqqani, Khalis,
Nabi Muhammadi, Sayyaf etc) and their thousands of fighters Pakistanis? Did Pakistan force
them to take up arms against the Soviets?
CIVIL WAR AND TALIBAN RULE:
1) Did Pakistan not try to bring all Afghan commanders on the table to decide the future of
Afghanistan themselves? Was Peshawar accord (1992) not a serious/sincere effort to bring peace
to Afghanistan through a consensus govt?
2) Were the 1992-94 era massacres by Dostums militia, Abdul Ali Mazaris militia, Sayyafs
militia, Hekmatyars forces, Rabbanis forces and Massouds forces perpetrated by Pakistan?

Afghanistan and Pakistan: Myths vs Facts

By: Shah Zalmay Khan (@Zalmayx)

Page 19

3) Was Pakistan not the only country that kept sheltering 3 million Afghan refugees even after
Soviet troops left Afghanistan and the refugee status of Afghans became questionable? What if
Pakistan had expelled them?
4) Were the thousands of Taliban and their leaders Pakistanis? Except tacit background support,
what could Pakistan have done practically to make sure Taliban won battle after battle against
such formidable forces like Hekmatyar, Rabbani, Ismail Khan and Dostum etc? Isnt it true that
the Afghan public at large welcomed the Taliban advance and the relative peace they brought?
POST 9/11:
1) Did Pakistan invite USA/NATO to attack Afghanistan? Wasnt it UN mandate under which
Pakistan had to give USA/NATO passage for the Operation Enduring Freedom? Did Pakistan
not shelter the new wave of Afghan refugees despite its own economy being in ruins?
2) After being beaten decisively in 2001, could Taliban have staged a comeback if Afghan rulers
had given their people at least some hope for future, through good governance and good use of
the foreign aid pouring in? Wasnt it the corrupt Afghan officials and warlords who made life
hell for the common Afghans and made them look towards Taliban again?
3) Could Taliban have sustained this violent insurgency if they didnt enjoy support (right or
wrong) amongst the Afghan public, especially in rural areas?
4) Pakistan is accused of harboring Afghan Taliban elements (which may not be wrong entirely)
but what about the presence of TTP and other anti-Pakistan militant groups operating out of
Afghanistan and killing Pakistanis? What about Baloch separatists having bases in Afghanistan
that are used for attacks inside Pakistan?
This blog can go on and on and on. What is the point?
The point: Pak-Afghan bitterness is not a Black-And-White affair (where Pakistan is the BLACK
and Afghanistan the innocent SNOW WHITE). Afghanistan STARTED the animosity through a series
of follies over the first half of 70-year old Pak-Afghan relations; and Pakistan retaliated with its own
set of follies over the later half. Both sides have hurt each other and themselves in the process, without
gaining much. Blaming Pakistan for all Afghan woes may be the easy thing to do for Afghan govt and
citizens and their ANP/PkMAP supporters but this is not necessarily the right thing to do. Pakistan did
play a role in the mess but so did Afghanistan itself, USSR, USA, Iran, Arabs and rest of the World.
By senselessly insisting on a dead-horse like Durand Line issue and Pashtunistan, Afghanistan gains
nothing except irking Pakistans inherent sensitivities and in retaliation, Pakistan strives for installing a
pliant regime in Kabul. Both sides are wrong and both must stop it.
Afghanistan must realize that Pakistani Pashtuns are an impregnable part of Pakistans body and
beating the Pashtunistan drum only serves to alienate the sympathetic voices in Pakistan. Same goes for
Pakistan and its efforts for controlling Kabul from Islamabad.
Until both sides admit their respective follies and make amends; the public of both will suffer and only
the hawks on both sides will thrive, in addition to the Thekadars of Pashtuns (like ANP of Asfandyar
Wali and PkMAP of Mahmud Achakzai).
I rest my case.

Afghanistan and Pakistan: Myths vs Facts

By: Shah Zalmay Khan (@Zalmayx)

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