Soviet Approach to the Problem of Afghanistan-Pakistan Settlement 1976–1985

1. See, for instance, Harrison Selig S. : In Afghanistan's shadow: Baluch Nationalism and Soviet Temptations (New York, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 1981), p. 141.

2. Kabul Times, 9 June 1974, Cited in Kulwant Kaur: Pak-Afghanistan relations (New Delhi, Deep & Deep, 1985) P. 179.

3. Ziring Lawrence , “Buffer States on the Rim of Asia; Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and the Super Powers”, Malik, Hafeez: Soviet-American relations with Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan (London. Macmillan, 1987), p. 105.

4. Sinha P.O. , “Pak perception of the Coup om Kabul”, Strategic Analysis, vol. II, No. 3, June 1978, p. 85.

5. Syed Anwar H. , Pakistan in 1976: Business as Usual, Strategic Digest (New Delhi), vol. VII, No. 4, April 1977, P. 65 (Reprinted from Asian Survey, February 1977).

6. Ibid, Also Ziring, op. cit, P. 104.

7. Ibid.

8. Dupree Louis , “Afghanistan Under the Khalaq”, Problems of Communism, vol. XVIII, No. 4, July-August 1979, p. 38.

9. Nayar Kuldip : Report on Afghanistan (New Delhi. Allied) 1981, p. 126.

10. Gankovksy Yu, V. and others: A History of Afghanistan (Moscow, Progress), 1985, p. 301.

11. Ibid.

12. Supra, p. 2.

13. Syed Anwar , Op. cit.

14. Roy Arundhati : The Soviet intervention in Afghanistan: Causes, Consequences and India's Response (New Delhi, Associated Pub. House) 1987, p. 15.

15. Gankovsky and others, op. cit.

16. Ibid, p. 299.

17. Dupree Louis , Op. cit, p. 39.

18. Harrsion Sclig , “The Shah. Not Kremlin, Touched Off Afghan Coup” Washington Post, 13 May 1979. Cited in Gibbs David “Does the USSR Have a ‘Grand Strategy’? Reinterpreting the Invasion of Afghanistan”, Journal of Peace Research vol. XXIV, No. 4. December 1987, p. 370.

19. Gibbs David , Ibid.

20. Rahul Ram : Afghanistan, Mongolia and USSR (Delhi. Vikas) 1987, p. 38.

21. Bangladesh Oserver, 18 July 1977.

22. Statesman, 13 October 1977.

23. See, for instance, Ulansky A. , Tje events in Islamabad, New Times (Moscow), No. 29, 1977, p. 11.

24. Mezentsev P. , “Pakistan – Thirty years of Independence”, New Times, No. 32, 1977, pp. 12–13. The author remarked that “… experience shows … that the perods of civilian rule were most favourable and fruitful for Pakistan”.

25. “The Pakistan Soene”, Strategic Digest, vol. VIII, No. 9, p. 81.

26. Ibid, p. 82.

27. Razvi Mujtaba , “Pakistan and the Contemporary Scene” Pakistan Horizon, vol. XXXI, nos 2 and 3, 1978, p. 87.

28. Harrision Selig , “Dateline Afghanistan: Exit Through Finland? Foreign Policy, No. 41, 1980 pp. 163–187. Cited in Gibbs, David, op. cit., p. 370. Harrision admits that the American officials encouraged the Iranian-Afghan relationship, but Shah's “own regional ambitions” were also behind the move.

29. The Tribune (Chandigarh), March 1978.

30. Ibid. According to Kuldip Nayar (op. cit., p. 126) during Bhutto's visit to Kabul in 1976 a secret agreement was reported to have been cached between the two on a formula according to which Pakistan was to hold a plebiscite in Pushtu-speaking areas, but so rigged as to return ‘no’ verdict to Pushtunistan alternative and Daoud assured to accept it on behalf of Afghanistan.

31. Cited n Dupree, Opp. cit, p. 50.

32. Ibid, p. 34. Also see Bradsher, Heny: Afghanistan and the Soviet Union (Durham, Duke Univ. Press), 1985, p. 74. Bradshe believes that the coup was divised at the last moment by the Afghan leftists in response to Daoud's crackdown.

33. New Times, No. 38, 1991, pp. 37–38.

34. The Tribune, 7 May 1978.

35. Sinha P.B. , “Recent Developments in Afghanistan”, Strategic Analysis, vol. II, No. 3, June 1978, p. 86. Also, Indian Express, 25 May 1978.

36. Ibid.

37. Harrison Selig , In Afghanistan's Shadow.…, Op. cit, pp. 142–143.

38. Noor Mohammad Taraki was the father figure of the revolution and the President of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Hafizullah Khan Amin was the number two man in the Khalq and the Foreign Minster and a Deputy Prime Minister in the first PDPA government.

39. Harrison Selig , In Afghanistan's Shadow. Op. cit pp. 142–43.

40. Cited in Safronchuk Vasili , “Afghanistan in the Amin Period”, International Affairs (Moscow), February 1991, p. 80. Safronchuk was Soviet Union's Envoy-Counsellor in Afghanistan at that time.

41. Sinha P.B. , “Recent Developments in Afghanstan”, Op. cit.

42. Mustafa Zubeida , “An overview of Pakistan's Focing Policy in Recent Years”, Pakistan Horizon. vol. XXXII, No. 4, 1979, p. 24.

43. The Statesman, 20 May 1978.

44. Patriot, 9 September 1978.

45. Indian Expess, 11 September 1978. Patriot, 12 September 1978.

46. For a detailed and authentic account of the period see Dupree, louis. “Afghanistan under the khalq”, Op. cit, pp. 34–50.

47. See, for instance, “Shift in Kabul's Stand on Ties with Pindi”. Times of India, 11 February 1979.

48. Ibid, Amin clealy expressed his desire for “frindly fraternal relations between the peoples of Afghanistan and Pakistan which is the best way of solving the problems between our two countries and ensure prospelty of our fraternal peoples”.

49. Times of India, 17 and 27 March 1979.

50. The Hindu, 7 June 1979. Earlier, the Foreign Affairs Advisor of Pakistan, Agha Shahi was reported to have met the Soviet Ambassador in Islamabad.

51. Hindustan Times, 26 June 1979.

52. Hindustan Times 4 July 1979.

53. The Statesman, 8, September 1979.

54. Taraki was also acceptable to pro-Moscow Parcham faction of PDPA.

55. Safronchuk , Op. cit, p. 92. According to the author the members of the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul had let it be known that the problem of the ‘Durand line’ was dealt with in the conversation between Taraki and Zia in Havana.

56. Ibid.

57. Ibid, p. 79.

58. Ibid, p. 93.

59. Ibid, p. 85.

60. Me was an ardent advocate of the concept of “greater Afghanistan”, Supra, p. 14.

61. Dupree Louis , Op. cit, p. 42.

62. Safronchuk , Op. cit, p. 95.

63. On 13 May 1979 Radio Afghanistan quoted Amin as saying, We also have our friends who arc supporting us. They arc giving us whatever we want, whichever arms we demand, they will supply us. Cited in Dupree, Op. cit, p. 47.

64. Gibbs , Op. cit, p. 372.

65. Ibid, p. 374.

66. Halllday Fred “War and Revolution in Afghanistan”, New Left Review, No. 119 p. 36. Cited in Gibbs op. cit, p. 374.

67. Safronchuk , Op. cit, p. 85.

68. Khalizad Zalmay , “Soviet-Occupied Afghanistan”. Problems of Communism, November-December 1980, p. 24.

69. The reference was to Watanjar, Gulabsol, Mazdooryar and Sarwar. The four were Prominent members of the Afghan armed forces who had taken part in the April 1978 coup.

70. Safronchuk , Op. cit, pp. 80–90.

71. Ibid, p. 91.

72. Ibid, p. 92. According to the author it was clear to the diplomatic corps at Kabul that reference was to Taraki's reported offer to Zia to recognize the Durand line if Pakistan stopped aid to anti-government rebels. Supra p. 19.

73. Indian Express, 25 September 1979.

74. Safronchuk, Op. cit., p. 93.

75. Ibid.

76. See, for instance, Khalilzad Zalmay , Op. cit, p. 24.

77. Harrison Selig : In Afghanistan Shadow. Op. cit, p. 195.

78. Pravda 17, 22 January 1980; New Times, No. 8, 1980, pp. 25–28.

79. Brezhnev's interview to Pravda. See Pravda, 13 January 1980.

80. See, for instance, Smirnov Vitaly S. , “USS's Forcing Policy”, Pakistan Horizon, vol. XXXV, No. 3, 1982, pp. 24–27. The address of the Soviet Ambassador Smirnov at the Pakistan Institute of Intenational Affairs, Karachi on 18 May 1982.

81. Times of India 29 March 1981.

82. See, for instance, Cheema Pervaiz Iqbal , “The Afghan Crisis and Pakistan's Security Dilemma”, Asian survey, vol. XXIII, No. 3, March 1983, pp. 236–237.

83. Hindustan Times, 9 February 1980.

84. Current Digest of Soviet Press, vol. XXXII, No. 8, 26 March 1980, p. 4.

85. Asian Recorder, 12–18 February 1980, p. 15311.

86. Hindustan Times, 17 July 1980.

87. Pravda, 15 May 1980.

88. See, for instance, Izvestia, 3 September 1980.

89. All Mchrunnisa , “Soviet-Pakistan Tics Since the Afghanistan Crisis.” Asian Survey, vol. XXIII, No. 9, September 1983, pp. 1027–1028; 1980, p. 30363.

90. The Hindu, 27 January 1981.

91. Dawn, 27 and 28 August 1981. Significantly, Reagan administration, in contrast, denounced 24 August Kabul proposal as a “warmed over version of Kabul's earlier proposal”.

92. Cited in Dupree Louis , “Afghanistan in 1982; Still No Solution”, Asian Survey, vol XXIII. No. 1, January 1983, p. 139.

93. Times of India, 18 June 1983: 1983.

94. Thornton. Thomas Perry, The USSR and Asia in 1982: The End of Brezhnev Era, Asian Survey, vol. XXIII, No. 1, January 1983, p. 22.

95. See Dupree Louis , “Afghanistan in 1982”, Op. cit., p. 139.

96. Times of India, 28 October 1982.

97. Ibid, 18, November 1982.

98. Izuestia, 26 October 1983.

99. Dupree , “Afghanistan in 1982.”, Op. cit, p. 140.

100. See. for instance, POT Pakistan Series, vol. XI, part 132, 25 June 1983 pp. 1890–1891.

101. Ahmer Moonis , “Afghan Crisis and the Efforts for a Third Party Mediation,” Pakistan Horizon, vol. XXXVI, No. 3, 1983, pp. 60–61.

102. See, for instance, Bhutto Benazir : Pakistan, The Gathering Storm (New Delhi, Vikas) 1983, p. 70.

103. The Tribune (Chandigarh) 17 February 1984.

104. Cited in Braun Dieter “The USSR and Pakistan”, Pakistan Horizon, No. 4, 1984, pp. 47–48.

105. The Washington Post, 13 January 1985.