ANTI-PAKISTAN SENTIMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN: INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS

Abstract

Pakistan is a second home to around four million Afghans refugees for the last four decades. Despite of that, Pakistan has done enough diplomatic efforts to stabilize relations with Afghanistan and put an end to the irredentist claims, mistrust and blame game. However, Anti Pakistan sentiments are yet to fade away in some sections of the afghan state and society. These Anti-Pakistan sentiments traces back to the birth of Pakistan in 1947; by the time Pakistan got independence, Afghanistan was the only country which voted against Pakistan‘s recognition in the United Nations general assembly. But few years later, Pakistan was recognized by Afghanistan as a sovereign state and was given vote in the UN general assembly, due to which both countries established diplomatic and economic relations as well. Afghan government did not vote in favor of Pakistan only due to some irredentist claims about Durand line which deteriorated relations between the two countries. As a result of which, Afghan government started sponsoring insurgency in Baluchistan province to compel Pakistan compromise on Durand line that either Khyber Pakhtunkhwa should be declared as an independent state which Afghanistan believed would later became part of greater Afghanistan or to let Afghanistan annex Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). Pakistan; for the purpose to counter Afghanistan‘s insurgency in Baluchistan; owned counter policies and harbored insurgencies which operated against Afghan government. As a result of which, Pakistan was able to topple Afghan government and install a pro-Pakistan government in Kabul in 1996. Since then, Pakistan has been blamed for using any means to secure its interest in Afghanistan. Pakistan has worked enough to defend or combat claims on Durand line which resulted in instigating mistrust, blame game and Anti-Pakistan sentiments in some sections of the Afghan state and society.