Pakistan’s Afghan Conundrum: A study of Pakistan’s Security Objectives and Strategies in Afghanistan

Abstract

This study ascertains Pakistan's objectives in Afghanistan along with the security challenges, with a special focus on what Pakistan's objectives are in Afghanistan and what options Pakistan has used to achieve these objectives. Although they are neighbours and share cultural and linguistic bonds, Pak-Afghan bilateral ties have been historically lukewarm. Although Afghanistan is a weaker state than Pakistan, it has challenged Pakistan to a greater extent sometimes in concert with the Soviet Union and sometimes India. We shall argue that contrary to popular assertions, Pakistan wants a friendly, not subservient regime in Afghanistan. A government that does not allow India to maintain its footprints in Afghanistan for use against Pakistan, which recognises the Durand line as an international border, does not propagate the Pashtunistan question and provides entree to hydrocarbon resources rich Central Asian States. Methodologically, it is descriptive and analytical research. It uses equally primary and secondary data. Primary sources come from elite interviews, British national archives, US Security archives held by the State Department, and policy documents. While secondary literature is collected from Pakistani, Western and Afghan sources available openly in the form of commentaries, articles, books, think tank documents/reports and surveys for empirical analysis.