Pakistan's Foreign Policy Between India and Afghanistan
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THEMENSCHWERPUNKT | Wagner, Pakistan’s Foreign Policy between India and Afghanistan Merkel, Angela 2010: Regierungserklärung zum Afghanistan Piiparinen, Touko 2007: A Clash of Mindsets? An Insider’s Ac Konzept der Bundesregierung von Bundeskanzlerin Merkel count of Provincial Reconstruction Teams. In: International vom 28. 1.2010. Stenografische Mitschrift des Deutschen Bun Peacekeeping (1): 143 – 157. destages. Online verfügbar: http://www.bundesregierung.de/ Preuß, HansJoachim 2008: Zivilmilitärische Zusammenarbeit Content/DE/Regierungserklaerung/2010/20100128merkel in Afghanistan. Eine Zwischenbilanz. In. Zeitschrift für Außen erklaerungafghanistan.html. und Sicherheitspolitik (1): 2635. Mohrmann, Günter 2009: Auslandseinsätze und zivilmilitä Raschke, Thomas/Tils, Ralf 2007: Politische Strategie. Eine rische Zusammenarbeit. Herausforderungen – Entwicklungs Grundlegung. Wiesbaden. linien – Wirkungen – Perspektiven. In: Jaberg, Sabine/Biehl, Schröter, Leonie 2010: Der Ressortkreis Zivile Krisenpräventi Heiko/Mohrmann, Günter/Tomforde, Maren (Hrsg.) 2009: on. Untersuchung einer interministeriellen Zusammenarbeit Auslandseinsätze der Bundeswehr. Sozialwissenschaftliche innerhalb der deutschen Außen und Sicherheitspolitik. Ma gisterarbeit Universität Münster. Analysen, Diagnosen und Perspektiven. Berlin: 93119. Verband Entwicklungspolitik Deutscher Nichtregierungsorga Münch, Philipp 2008: Freund oder Feind? Sicherheitsbedro nisationen (VENRO) 2009: Fünf Jahre deutsche PRTs in Afgha hungen bei deutschen Auslandseinsätzen aus Sicht der Bun nistan. Eine Zwischenbilanz aus Sicher der deutschen Hilfsor deswehr. Masterarbeit Universität Hamburg. ganisationen. Positionspapier 1. Online verfügbar: http://www. NATO 2001: MC4II/I. NATO Military Policy on CivilMilitary venro.org/fileadmin/Publikationen/AfghanistanPositionspa Cooperation. Brüssel: NATO. Online verfügbar: http://www. pier_PRT.pdf. nato.int/ims/docu/mc4111e.htm. Vogler, Kathrin 2004: Wider die militärische Umarmung von Niebel, Dirk 2010: Interview im Deutschlandradio vom 28. Friedens und Menschenrechtsprojekten. Netzwerk Friedensko Januar 2010. Online verfügbar: http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sen operative. In: Friedensforum (3). Online verfügbar: http://www. friedenskooperative.de/ff/ff04/355.htm. dungen/interview_dlf/1114334/. Paul, Michael 2008: CIMIC am Beispiel des ISAFEinsatzes. Kon zeption, Umsetzung und Weiterentwicklung zivilmilitärischer Interaktion im Auslandseinsatz. SWPStudie S 31. Berlin. Pakistan’s Foreign Policy between India and Afghanistan Christian Wagner* Abstract: In the 1990s the Pakistani military has linked relations towards Afghanistan with the conflict with India over Kashmir. Afghanistan is perceived under the lens of strategic depth in order to prevent an encirclement by India. The strategy had been successful in the 1990s but has backfired after 9/11. The attacks of Taliban groups pose a growing threat to state and society in Pakistan. But Pakistan’s foreign and security policy is still dominated by the military whereas the civilian government is not in a position to reformulate the foreign policy towards the neighbours that would favour closer economic cooperation. Keywords: Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, military, Taliban Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indien, Militär, Taliban ince many years Pakistan is pursuing an ambiguous policy Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) by Pakistani agencies are towards Afghanistan and the international community.1 hampering the reconstruction in Afghanistan.2 The picture SOn the one hand, the AfPak concept of President Obama gets more complex because Pakistan is more and more of 2009 has acknowledged Pakistan’s strategic importance suffering under attacks of Taliban groups. They have extended for stability in Afghanistan. On the other hand, the support their military operations to the urban centres of Punjab, the and toleration of militant Islamic groups in the Federally heartland of Pakistan, indicating that the military and the * Christian Wagner is Head of the Asia Division at the Stiftung Wissenschaft ����������������������������������������������������������������������The support was recently confirmed by General Pervez Musharraf who was und Politik (SWP) in Berlin. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) until 2007, see ‚Pakistan is Always Seen as the ���������������������������������������������������������������������������This contribution is an updated version of Pakistan’s Afghanistan Policy in Rogue‘, SPIEGEL Interview with Pervez Musharraf, in: http://www.spiegel. the Shadow of India, in: HansGeorg Ehrhart/Charles C, Pentland (eds.), The de/international/world/0,1518,721110,00.html (accessed 14 October 2010); Afghanistan Challenge. Hard Realities and Strategic Choices, McGillQueen’s Waldman, Matt, The Sun in the Sky: The Relationship between Pakistan’s ISI University Press 2009, pp. 113127. and Afghan Insurgents, London 2010 (Crisis States Discussion Papers 18). 246 | S+F (28. Jg.) 4/2010 https://doi.org/10.5771/0175-274x-2010-4-246 Generiert durch IP '170.106.33.42', am 26.09.2021, 15:14:19. Das Erstellen und Weitergeben von Kopien dieses PDFs ist nicht zulässig. SuF_04_10_Inhalt.indd 246 08.02.2011 17:15:28 Wagner, Pakistan’s Foreign Policy between India and Afghanistan | THEMENSCHWERPUNKT InterServices Intelligence (ISI) have lost control over parts of The first democratic elections in 1970 brought a clear mandate these groups. It seems that the strategy of the Pakistani military, for the Awami League (AL) from East Pakistan which had called to link its relations to Afghanistan with Pakistan’s conflict with for greater regional autonomy. Yet, the political and military India over Kashmir during the early 1990s, has partly failed elite of West Pakistan were not willing to transfer power to the and turned against the Pakistani state and society. In order to AL. In spring 1971 government negotiations broke down and analyze the regional power play, this article will first discuss the Pakistani army advanced against the AL in East Pakistan. the domestic role of the Pakistani military and then highlight The civil war forced thousands of refugees into India which Pakistan’s changing relationship with India and Afghanistan. supported the East Pakistani guerrillas and intervened militarily in December 1971. The war became a military, political and ideological defeat for 1. Pakistan’s Domestic Development: Pakistan. The army had to surrender and more than 90,000 The Supremacy of the Military Pakistani soldiers became prisoners of war in India. Politically, the independence of East Pakistan showed that military rule Pakistan was established as a separate state for the Muslims had been unable to find political solutions in the complex of the Indian subcontinent. The new state was formed of the process of state and nationbuilding. Ideologically, the Muslim majority provinces of British India. The eastern and creation of Bangladesh shattered Pakistan’s idea of being the western parts were separated by more than 1500 kilometres of sole homeland for Muslims in South Asia. The ethnic identity Indian territory. The independence of India and Pakistan in of the Bengalis in East Pakistan proved to be a stronger political August 1947 was accompanied by large resettlements. About bond than the common religious identity. fifteen million Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims left their homes to Yet, the military defeat of 1971 did not end the dominance of find new residences in one of the two new states. The migration the military in Pakistani politics. The tension between national was overshadowed by riots and massacres of religious fanatics identity, which should be based on religion and regional ethnic whereby approximately 500,000 people were killed. identities, led to a series of conflicts in Pakistan. Prime Minister Afghanistan was critical on the creation of Pakistan and raised Zulfikar Bhutto, having won the 1971 election with his Pakistan territorial claims on the Pashtunmajority areas in the North Peoples Party (PPP) in WestPakistan, promoted the concept of West Frontier Province (NWFP). The Afghan government Islamic Socialism in order to strengthen the national identity. refused to recognize the Durand Line although the Pashtun However, insurgencies among the Baluchis, Sindhis and tribes in NWFP and FATA supported the accession to Pakistan Pashtuns against the dominance of the Punjabis strengthened with a referendum in July 1947. Afghanistan was the only again the image of the army as guardian of national unity.5 country that voted against Pakistan’s entry into the United After manipulations in the 1977 elections General Ziaul Haq Nations (UN).3 conducted a second coup against Prime Minister Bhutto. In order The difficult process of state and nationbuilding hampered to increase the legitimacy of his regime Ziaul Haq amended the the democratic development in Pakistan.4 The new state constitution so that power was shifted to the presidency and was confronted with the territorial disputes with India over promoted a policy of Islamization.6 After Ziaul Haq’s death in Kashmir and with Afghanistan over the Pasthun areas. The an air crash in 1988 the second transition towards democracy Muslim League under the leadership of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, took place. The PPP under the leadership of Benazir Bhutto won which had achieved independence from the British and the the election in 1988, but the military continued to influence Indian National Congress, migrated from North India to West domestic developments