Soviet Afghan War

The intrusion of International forces in the internal affairs of other countries has become very common nowadays specially USA and USSR. Pakistan is faced with the difficult problem of balancing delicate foreign relations and international responsibilities with the very real. Afghanistan has historically been an unsettled, non-aligned country, governed by a monarch.10 The country has been unified only since 1747, when it was founded by King Ahmed Shah Duranni." Duranni's descendants fought amongst themselves, but retained power until 1978.12 One member, King Zahir Shah, ruled Afghanistan for forty years, from 1933 until 1973.13 The monarchy ended when, on July 17, 1973, Sardar Mohammed Daoud, a cousin of the

dangers and problems caused by its neighbor, Afghanistan.King, seized power in a military coup. Daoud, who was greatly influenced by the Shah of Iran, 5 pledged reform, but none was forthcoming. After four years of the lack of reforms, the two major political groups in Afghanistan, Parcham and Khalqy (the People),1 7 withdrew their support of Daoud and formed the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA). 18 Shortly thereafter, on April 27, 1978, Daoud was overthrown and assassinated in a bloody coup. Nur Mohammed Taraki took power as leader of the PDPA, and established the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. The questioning intensified in September of 1979, when Hafizullah Amin took power and had Taraki assassinated. Moscow began to worry about the stability of the Amin regime, and about the growing resistance within the country. Finally, Moscow decided to act. On December 24, 1979, Soviet

transport planes, carrying about 4,000 Soviet troops,19 were sent into

Kabul"0 to lend "fraternal aid" to the Afghan regime." The Soviets

claimed to be in Kabul on the invitation of Amin and the PDPA; however, on December 27, 1979, just three days after the invasion,

Amin was reported dead. The Soviets then flew in Babrak Karmal

from Czechoslovakia, and installed him as the new Afghan leader. "Soon after gaining control, Karmal denounced Amin as an agent of

the CIA. Now, with a Soviet supported government in power, Moscow would next look to control the anti-regime rebels interspersed

through the country. Bordering the troubled Afghanistan and Iran on the west, Pakistan also shares a border with India in the east, and with China in the north. Zia did not hold these elections immediately, but instead scheduled them for late 1979. As the new election date neared, Zia, fearing defeat, again cancelled the elections."' At this time, the PPP formed the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), in opposition of Zia." When valid elections were finally held in 1985, the MRD called for a boycott."' This strategy backfired on the MRD, however, as large numbers of voters turned out and the lack of opposition to Zia resulted in his retaining office. Upon taking office again, Zia set the next elections for 1990. the north. When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan, Pakistan suddenly became a "front-line" state. Pakistan was no longer separated from the Soviets by the Afghan mountains; it now had to face a 13,000 mile border that was, for all practical purposes, a Soviet border. Overnight, Pakistan became of "vital interest" to the United States, which pledged its military support. On the surface, Pakistan did not seem alarmed by the Soviet invasion, for there was very little troop movement in Pakistan. There was, however, one obvious change in Pakistan: the country was suddenly flooded with Afghan refugees. These refugees migrated across the Pakistan border to avoid Soviet air raids and over the next few years, millions of Afghan refugees made their home in Pakistan. The current number of Afghan citizens living in Pakistan now stands at more than 2.9 million. The refugees have caused many problems for Pakistan, including a shortage of jobs and a shortage of pasture land. Pakistan has also put itself at risk with Afghanistan and the Soviet Union by providing help to the refugees. The Afghanistan resistance is a broad measurely step against the USSR. The fighting men in the resistance are collectively referred to as the mujahidin and are located in hundreds of fronts throughout most of Afghanistan. Soon after the Soviet invasion, Pakistan extended an invitation to the leaders of the mujahidin to meet, organize and plan strategy in Peshawar, Pakistan. The leaders of the resistance accepted the invitation, and while there is a strong independent fighting group based in Afghanistan, most resistance fighters are now affiliated with one of the seven resistance groups headquartered in Peshawar.