The ever conflicted relations of Pakistan and Afghanistan

The key principles of Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan include strengthening people-to-people contacts, deepening trade and transit ties, undertaking joint connectivity and energy projects for enhanced economic integration, working together for bringing peace in Afghanistan, non-interference in the internal affairs, and not allowing respective territories to be used against each other.

Building close cooperative relations with Afghanistan is a high priority of Pakistan’s foreign policy and a vital component of our vision of a “peaceful neighborhood.” Pakistan continues its efforts for forging a friendly and good-neighborly relationship with Afghanistan, based on mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan since the independence of 1947 has been strained as Afghanistan was the only country to vote against Pakistan’s admission in the United Nations.

Then came the issue of the Durand Line. Afghanistan has again and again refused to accept Durand Line as the border between the two countries. The border issue has been a topic of distress for the countries and has caused Pashtun issues as well.

Soon after Pakistan came into creation, Afghanistan tried to reap benefits of the newborn country’s lack of stability and tried to take over Pakistan’s territory. Afghanistan has allied itself with first India and then USSR, Pakistan’s rivals.

The Afghan government denounced the merger of West Pakistan provinces, and on March 30, 1955, Afghan demonstrators attacked the Pakistani embassy and consulates in Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad. Pakistan retaliated by closing the border, an economic blockage. Diplomatic relations were restored in September. Again due to the Pashtunistan issue, the two countries accused each other of border invasion in 1961. In August, the consulates in both countries closed and relations were broken in September 1961. The situation was not defused until about 1965.

As if all of this was not enough, War in Afghanistan (1978–present) erupted, and with the millions of Afghan refugees who have sought shelter in Pakistan since the start of that war. Then the Afghan War happened after 9/11 in which US and British forces cracked down on the Taliban and Al-Qaeda and The War in North-West Pakistan which was a spillover conflict of the Afghanistan War which occurred in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of northwestern Pakistan. The Pakistani government, backed by the United States and United Kingdom, cracked down on militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and new groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

This depleted Pakistan’s economy, manpower, and peace. And it has created hostility in the hearts of both the people over the years. The relationship between the two neighboring countries have went downhill ever since.

After fall of Kabul by Afghan Taliban in 2021, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan urged other Muslim countries to acknowledge and help the Taliban in building Afghanistan. In December 2021, foreign ministers of the 56 nations belonging to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, along with Taliban delegates, gathered in Islamabad. On one side Pakistan was focusing on Afghanistan’s crisis and figuring out ways to help them, the TTP started its attacks and it lead to rise of tension between the two countries again.

Though the strain can be dated back to the Hijrat Movement when Indian Muslims were migrating to Afghanistan and at first Afghanistan welcomed them with open arms but all of a sudden the people became a burden and Afghan government refused to provide refuge to more Muslims. This shows that even before the partition, the relations between the people have been hostile.

Pakistan has opened its door for the neighboring country whenever they needed it. Be it trading routes or a home for refugees, Pakistan has always given them a place to settle. Though the hatred and contempt is at full force as ever.