The writer is an Islamabad-based TV journalist and tweets @FarrukhKPitafi
There is an underrated and underreported hostility between the two countries with very deep historical roots. And it has nothing to do with any “cross-border infiltration”. The land that we now call Pakistan once used to endure repeated excesses of marauding hordes of invaders from Afghanistan. For them, the real prize was India’s capital, Delhi, and we were only a sideshow meant for pillage. And this was even before Pakistan’s birth.
When Pakistan was created, there was only one country that voted against its admission into the United Nations. Not India, not any regional or global power. Surprise, surprise: it was Afghanistan. Saad Akbar Babrak, the assassin of the nascent country’s first prime minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, was Afghan by nationality. Many have still not forgotten the issue of greater Pashtunistan that once was pushed forward by the then Afghan government to dismember the newly-formed state. Speaking of cross-border terrorism (a border that the Afghan side does not accept since Pakistan’s inception), it might be of interest to you that in 1950, Pakistan had to suspend the trans-shipment of petroleum to Afghanistan in retaliation for Afghan tribal attacks across the border. The purpose of bringing these archaic facts up is to highlight the nature of hostility that has almost always prevailed on the other side of the Durand Line.
Our Afghan peers never get tired of blaming Pakistan for their suffering. But frankly, Islamabad is not responsible for the stupid decisions of their rulers. In a country that started flirting with the Soviet Union in 1950s, we were responsible neither for the creation of People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan, nor its Parcham and Khalq factions that brought Soviet invasion upon them. The rebellions that were used as an excuse for invasion were also staged by Afghan nationals — not any foreigners. Even the Afghan Taliban are, above anything else, a ragtag army of Afghan nationals.
Let us face the truth. No matter how harsh we are on the now defunct Soviet Union, the US or our own country, for intervening in the internal matters of Afghanistan, they all viewed themselves as friends of Afghanistan and stepped in to help at the call of Afghan citizens. But that is what Afghanistan does. It sucks its friends in its conflicts, destroys them and then very conveniently blames them for everything too.
In the 12 years after 9/11 and the subsequent US occupation, Afghanistan has very effectively exported its conflicts to our territory. Of course, there is no point in denying Islamabad’s stupidity in trying to influence Afghanistan. But the fact is that while it simultaneously seeks our help, it undermines the Durand Line, encourages the US invasion of Pakistan and its nationals habitually smuggle weapons and drugs through Pakistan, Afghanistan is a deadly brother and a deathly ally.
Back in the 1920s, during the Khilafat Movement, some Muslims of India decided to migrate to Afghanistan. Afghanistan closed its borders and countless perished. For the past 35 years, Pakistan has housed the largest population of Afghan refugees — the largest population of refugees in any country and yet we are the proverbial bad guys. As someone who believes that these refugees be now naturalised, I am the first one to accept that they have not lived in luxury, but they have lived and in circumstances not very dissimilar to a majority of Pakistani citizens. There is one hell of an ungrateful country there then.
And there is no point in blaming India for all this. I tell you, many Pakistanis who wince at the prospects of Narendra Modi becoming India’s prime minister find it easier to work with a government led by him than any in Afghanistan. And if this comes across as a diatribe to you, sirs, you know all you have to do is only to look into the mirror.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 5th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (14)
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ET, please publish my last comment as I didn't say anything wrong. It was just a historical analysis. I was just talking about how the Janjua Shahi ruler Jayapala fought valiantly against the Turk Ghaznavids in Eastern Afghanistan (laghman and Ghazni) and then at peshawar and his era is considered one of the golden ages of sub-continental history. I was just highlighting his bravery.
@important: You are very right - most invaders from Central Asia were of Turkic origin and they ruled present Afghanistan the same way they ruled present Pakistan and India. For a long time Afghanistan was ruled by Persians and even founder of modern Afghanistan Ahmad Shah Abdali, was a slave soldier of Persian ruler Nader Shah Afsar.I think the story of Afghanistan has been glorified without factual basis because we know modern Afghanistan is hardly 200 years old and it is a mix of different ethnic groups who barely tolerate each other. They were only abandoned by the British and the Russians to create an artificial buffer in the days of empire so these two european powers would not get into a war with each other. Then like now, there was nothing of value in Afghanistan but the fake pride comes from making up stories of defeating Russians and British when they were only too eager to serve all of these people for money that they were willing to sell their own people.
The invaders were pretty much ALL turks/turkic and had either INVADED Afghanistan or had usurped power from the locals. This fact should also be highlighted. This is a source of fake pride for 'Afghans'
this is one of the best articles I've read on express tribune. Thanks a lot
@Ali S: "...Our establishment’s obsession with ‘strategic dominance’ in Afghanistan will do nothing to change that hopeless country and it will only invite destructive blowback to Pakistan." . It is time to throw out each and every one of them, even if they may have obtained IDs or Pakistani travel documents somehow, if we do not want to invite trouble for the next couple of decades.
Lets just face the real reason for your intellectual anomosity. Your nations short sighted cruel policy of terrormon war ravaged Afghanistan has failed.
Now deal with it. Seems like you're blaiming others quite a bit too.
The main problem is that we refuse to learn from history. Germany and France were able to admit what went wrong during WWII and work towards a fruitful, mutually beneficial relationship after that - we seem unwilling to be able to do that with either of our neighbours (India and Afghanistan). The fact is that there's no bogeyman for us on the Eastern border, the Indians want nothing to do with us - we need to seal the Afghan border and isolate them (or pursue strictly diplomatic relations) rather than nurturing unreliable non-state 'assets' there and meddling in their affairs. Our establishment's obsession with 'strategic dominance' in Afghanistan will do nothing to change that hopeless country and it will only invite destructive blowback to Pakistan.
Great article, Iranian govt never allow the Afghan migrant to settle in iran even the Hazara/shia community and we have left our border open to every one coming from durand line, staying here and giving bad name to our country.
A fine piece to read. It was Pakistan which always remained patient but Afghan rulers adopted intransigent policy. Shrewd leaders want to have friendly relations with neighbors because a state could change its foreign policy but never its neighbors.
Afghanistan is not a nation in the real sense of the word but a combination of Tribes over which no Central Government has been able to establish authority. It is also a country that has made the production of Opium the center piece of its Economy, so crime, illicit funds and weapons will remain the main tools of trade. It is a country that is beholden to foreign influence and Aid since the government cannot generate any revenue from Taxes, without funds Government cannot run or development take place. About the status of women making up half the population, the less said the better, in many countries the status of animals is better. Afghanistan is also a country that invites intervention of the predatory kind but those who tried to interfere and occupy it directly or through their proxies, burnt their fingers and a lot more, quite badly. Non interference in its affairs would be the best policy for its neighbors to follow, in letter and spirit.
Your analysis sums it well that Everything is fair in war. As they say everything happens for a reason. A very huge percentage of Afghans(specifically Pashtuns on both sides of durand line) considers Pakistani establishment responsible for the death & destruction. Afghans are on right track to become modern & strong nation & they know their enemy. I am not sure about Pakistan what they want? Jihadi business is no longer sell-able to the world at large, that leaves us with not much to hold onto.
I wish more political commentators take up Afghan attitude towards Pakistan. The subject needs a thorough analysis. The author is right on all the points he has raised.
Even if we were to ignore the pre '47 era, Afghani people and their governments have been a royal pain in the neck all along.
Well done! Thank you sir for hitting the nail on the head, fair and square. Nothing but the truth you have stated. I think we should seal the border with them permanently and forget that they exist. Landlocked as they are, let them find the outlet to the outside world from somewhere else. Our experience has taught us that we cannot afford a love affair with them.