PANJAB UNIVERSITY, CHANDIGARH

UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF LEGAL

STUDIES

PROJECT TOPIC:
AFGHANISTAN SINCE 1973

Subject: United Nations Global Politics

SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

Ms. Sarabjit kaur Harleen kaur Paul

Professor, UILS Roll no. 73/24

PU, Chandigarh Semester- 1st Section- C

B.A.LLB. (HONS.)
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

With my sincere respect and gratitude, I would like to thank my Professor of

subject of United Nations Global Politics, Dr. Sarabjit kaur for her continuous
support for this project work, for her patience, motivation and enthusiasm.
Her Guidance helped me a lot throughout the duration of the work. Her
valuable suggestions inspired me a lot. I feel deeply honoured that I got the
opportunity to work under her guidance.

Last, but not the least, I would like to thank all my family members and my
class mates for their co-operation and support. Their wealth of experience
has been a source of strength for me throughout the duration of my work.

Harleen kaur Paul

BA. LL.B(1st Semester)

Roll No.: 73
 INTRODUCTION

Afghanistan is a landlocked country located in southern Asia that borders China,

Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and India. The geography
of Afghanistan is arid and mountainous.

Afghanistan is popularly referred to as ‘The graveyard of Empires’. The land has

witnessed numerous military campaigns, including Persians, Alexander, Maurya
Empire, Arab Muslims, the Mongols, the British, the Soviet Union and US-led coalition.

Known for its diverse ethnic groups, stunning landscapes, and historical significance
along the Silk Road, Afghanistan has been shaped by centuries of conflict, foreign
interventions, and social upheaval. In recent decades, the country has endured
prolonged turmoil, including civil wars and the rise and fall of the Taliban, significantly
impacting its political, social, and economic fabric.

Afghanistan is now facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The Afghan
economy has no cash to pay salaries or buy food. Western aid has been suspended
because the Taliban government (who’s currently in power in Afghanistan) includes
designated terrorists and millions of Afghans face acute malnutrition and starvation.
 THE LAST KING OF
AFGHANISTAN: MOHAMMAD
ZAHIR SHAH

Mohammad Zahir Shah was the last king of Afghanistan, reigning from 1933 until he
was deposed in 1973. Ruling for 40 years, Zahir Shah ruled for the longest term
since the foundation of the Durrani Empire in the 18th century.

The first 20 years of Mohammad Zahir Shah’s reign were characterized by cautious
policies of national consolidation, an expansion of foreign relations, and internal
development using Afghan funds alone. World War II brought about a slowdown in
development processes, but Afghanistan maintained its traditional neutrality. The
“Pashtunistan” problem regarding the political status of those Pashtun living on the
British (Pakistani) side of the Durand Line developed after the independence
of Pakistan in 1947.

Prime Minister Daud Khan (1953–63) took a stronger line on Pashtunistan, and, to the
surprise of many, turned to the Soviet Union for economic and military assistance.
The Soviets ultimately became Afghanistan’s major aid-and-trade partner.

Zahir Shah and his advisers instituted an experiment in constitutional monarchy. In

1964 a Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) approved a new constitution, under which
the House of the People was to have 216 elected members and the House of the Elders
was to have 84 members, one-third elected by the people, one-third appointed by the
king, and one-third elected indirectly by new provincial assemblies.

Elections for both houses of the legislature were held in 1965 and 1969. Several
unofficial parties ran candidates with platforms ranging from fundamentalist Islam to
the extreme left. One such group was the Marxist People’s Democratic Party of
Afghanistan (PDPA), the major leftist organization in the country.

National politics became increasingly polarized. Struggles for power developed between
the legislative and the executive branches, and an independent Supreme Court, as called
for in the 1964 constitution, was never appointed.

When he was undergoing medical treatment in Italy, his regime was overthrown by his
cousin and former prime minister, Daoud Khan and became prime minister of
Republic of Afghanistan in 1973.
THE REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN
(1973–78)
During Daud Khan’s second tenure as prime minister, he attempted to introduce
socioeconomic reforms, to write a new constitution, and to effect a gradual movement
away from the socialist ideals his regime initially espoused. Afghanistan broadened and
intensified its relationships with other Muslim countries, trying to move away from its
dependency on the Soviet Union and the United States. In addition, Daud Khan
and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the prime minister of Pakistan, reached tentative agreement on
a solution to the Pashtunistan problem.

In March 1977 Daud Khan, then president of Afghanistan, appointed a new cabinet
composed of sycophants, friends, sons of friends, and even members of the royal family.
The two PDPA organizations, the People’s and Banner parties, then reunited against
Daud Khan after a 10-year separation. There followed a series of political
assassinations, massive anti-government demonstrations, and arrests of major leftist
leaders. Before his arrest, Hafizullah Amin, a U.S.-educated People’s Party leader,
contacted party members in the armed forces and devised a makeshift but successful
coup. Daud Khan and most of his family were killed, and the Democratic Republic of
Afghanistan was born on April 27, 1978.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC AND SOVIET WAR

In April 1978, the communist People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) seized
power in a bloody coup d'état against then-President Mohammed Daoud Khan, in what
is called the Saur Revolution. The PDPA declared the establishment of the Democratic
Republic of Afghanistan, with its first leader named as People's Democratic
Party General Secretary Nur Muhammad Taraki who was very much influenced by
USSR. The leaders of the new government insisted that they were not controlled by
the Soviet Union and proclaimed their policies to be based on Afghan nationalism,
Islamic principles, socioeconomic justice, nonalignment in foreign affairs, and respect
for all agreements and treaties signed by previous Afghan governments. The PDPA
initiated various social, symbolic, land distribution reforms and giving equal rights to
women that provoked strong opposition, while also brutally oppressing political
dissidents. This caused unrest and quickly expanded into a state of civil war by 1979,
waged by guerrilla mujahideen as people thought traditional afghan value is challenged.
It quickly turned into a proxy war as the Pakistani government provided these rebels
with covert training centers, the United States supported them through Pakistan's Inter-
Services Intelligence (ISI), and the Soviet Union sent thousands of military advisers to
support the PDPA regime.

Mujahideen, in its broadest sense, Muslims who fight on behalf of the faith or the
Muslim community. They were not a single group but various groups who fought in
different areas, collectively being termed as mujahideen. They had one common aim
which was to topple PDPA government.

Operation Cyclone:

Operation Cyclone was the code name for the United States Central Intelligence
Agency (CIA) program to arm and finance the Afghan mujahideen in Afghanistan from
1979 to 1992, prior to and during the military intervention by the USSR in support of
the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. Under the leadership of Nur Muhammad
Taraki, communists seized power in Afghanistan on 27 April 1978. Following a general
uprising in April 1979, Taraki was deposed by an internal coup lead by Hafizullah
Amin in September and was killed in on airport by Amin. Amin was considered a "brutal
psychopath" by foreign observers; the Soviets were particularly alarmed and suspected
Amin, of being an agent of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

USSR invasion of Afghanistan, 1979:

USSR Being afraid that now their supported PM is not in power in Afghanistan . USSR
entered Kabul on 24th December, 1979 with army of thousands and took political and
military control over major parts over major parts of Afghanistan and on the same day
Amin was killed and made Babrak karmal the PM.

Proxy war:

U.S.A was not happy with USSR invasion of Afghanistan. U.S president Jimmy carter said,
”An attempt by an outside force to take control over persian gulf region (Afghanistan)
will be regarded as an assault on vital intrests of United Stated of America and such an
assault eill be repelled by any means necessary, including military force.”

During cold war, both U.S and USSR sought to gain footholds in Afghanistan. In Asia U.S
had only two allies: Pakistan and Saudi arabia. U.S saw Afghanistan as a tool to establish
it’s influence in Asia. Jimmy carter rapidly mobilized a strategic alliance to fight USSR.
Within two weeks he persuaded Zia ul Haq to support the mujahideen with refuge,
bases and training in Pakistan.

U.S.A with pakistan’s ISI encouraged young men to come from all over the middle east
to be part of Afghan jihad (fight against enemies of Islam) and named their organization
Makhtab al-khidamat. Among the men who came; Osama bin laden, Abdullah Azzam and
Omar Khadr played an important role in finance and strategic matters. They had
database of all the recruited mujahideens, on this the name of Al-Qeada was made
which means ‘the base’.
Western countries supported U.S.
 SOVIET WITHDRAWL:
Even though USSR army was powerful but the area of Afghanistan was very hilly. As
mujahideens were the residents, they knew the area better than USSR army and U.S
army provided mujahideens latest weapons. USSRC suffered a lot of loses and finally
after 10 years of war USSR withdrew their army. Following the withdrawal,
rival mujahideen factions vied for control, leading to a brutal civil war.

The Peshawar Accords (also known as the Peshawar Agreement) were established
in 1992 to address the power struggle among various mujahideen factions. This
agreement aimed to create a coalition government and unify the factions against the
communist regime. However, the accords faced significant challenges:

1. Factional Rivalries: The various mujahideen groups struggled to cooperate,

leading to ongoing conflict and civil war.
2. Power Struggles: Instead of establishing a stable government, the accords
quickly unraveled, and different factions sought control of Kabul, resulting
in increased violence.
3. Taliban's Rise: The instability created an environment that allowed the
Taliban to gain power in the mid-1990s, eventually leading to their control of
Afghanistan.

SOVIET WITHDRAWL:
Even though USSR army was powerful but the area of Afghanistan was very hilly. As
mujahideens were the residents, they knew the area better than USSR army and U.S
army provided mujahideens latest weapons. USSRC suffered a lot of loses and finally
after 10 years of war USSR withdrew their army. Following the withdrawal,
rival mujahideen factions vied for control, leading to a brutal civil war.

The Peshawar Accords (also known as the Peshawar Agreement) were established
in 1992 to address the power struggle among various mujahideen factions. This
agreement aimed to create a coalition government and unify the factions against the
communist regime. However, the accords faced significant challenges:

1. Factional Rivalries: The various mujahideen groups struggled to cooperate,

leading to ongoing conflict and civil war.
2. Power Struggles: Instead of establishing a stable government, the accords
quickly unraveled, and different factions sought control of Kabul, resulting
in increased violence.
3. Taliban's Rise: The instability created an environment that allowed the
Taliban to gain power in the mid-1990s, eventually leading to their control of
Afghanistan.
Mohammad Najibullah Ahmadzai who served as the General Secretary of
the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan, the leader of the one-
party ruling Republic of Afghanistan from 1986 to 1992 and as well as the President of
Afghanistan from 1987 until his resignation in April 1992, shortly after which
the mujahideen took over Kabul. After a failed attempt to flee to India, Najibullah
remained in Kabul. He lived in the United Nations headquarters until his assassination
during the Taliban's capture of Kabul.

Osama bin Laden played a crucial role in the Taliban's rise to power and its subsequent
actions in Afghanistan. Here are some key aspects of his involvement:

1. Financial Support: Bin Laden, a wealthy Saudi businessman, provided

significant financial resources to the Taliban, helping them bolster their military
capabilities. His funding contributed to their success in capturing territory.
2. Strategic Alliance: Bin Laden formed a strategic alliance with the Taliban,
aligning their goals. While the Taliban sought to establish a strict Islamic state
in Afghanistan, bin Laden aimed to promote jihad against what he saw as
Western imperialism, particularly the United States.
3. Al-Qaeda Base: After the Taliban took power in 1996, they allowed al-Qaeda,
which bin Laden founded, to operate from Afghanistan.
4. International Terrorism: Under bin Laden’s leadership, al-Qaeda executed
several high-profile terrorist attacks, including the 1998 U.S. embassy
bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. The Taliban’s protection of al-Qaeda made
them complicit in these actions, leading to increased scrutiny and hostility from
the international community.

Bin Laden’s activities and the Taliban's support for him directly contributed to
deteriorating relations between the Taliban and the United States. This
culminated in the 2001 U.S. invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11
attacks, which were orchestrated by al-Qaeda.

9/11 ATTACK
The 9/11 attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist acts carried out by the extremist
group al-Qaeda on September 11, 2001. Four commercial airliners were hijacked; two
were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing
both towers to collapse. A third plane struck the Pentagon, while the fourth, United
Airlines Flight 93, crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to retake
control. The attacks resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths and significant changes in U.S. and
global security policies.

Osama planned this attack from Afghanistan. U.S told Afghanistan to hand over Osama
to them to which Mullah Mohammad refused. There were two reasons behind this, First
was that Mullah mohammad had close ties with Osama bin Laden and second being that
it would look that Afghanistan bowed down to U.S.
 U.S INVASION OF AFGHANISTAN, 2001
After 9/11, on 7th October 2001, U.S with it’s allies (U.K, Australia, Canada and other
NATO allies) attacked Afghanistan. It was named as Operation Enduring freedom. In
starting U.S only did air strikes but after some time special forces (U.S Delta force and
British SAS) was sent to Afghanistan.

On 13th of November, U.S removes the Taliban government and establish control over
major cities like Kandhar. Mullah Mohammad and Osama bin laden hid in
Afghanistan itself. The main reason of U.S to attack (to capture Osama) was yet to be
fulfilled.

In December 2001, U.S conducted Elections in Afghanistan and formed a government

which ran according to them. Hamid Karzai won with 55.4% of votes and became
President. During this whole process people of Taliban were kept aside.

In 2003, U.S invaded Iraq, which shifted U.S focus. But still Osama was nowhere to be
found.

RETURN OF TALIBAN
In FATA(Federally administered tribal areas) people of Taliban met. They made alliance
with Haqanni network and Al-Qaeda. They started preparing a movement against U.S.

The government of Afghanistan was immensely corrupt. No one wanted Afghanistan to

develop. People of Taliban spread this among local people, which led to development of
anger in minds of local people against government. Taliban slowly started capturing
areas which did not consisted U.S army.

There were various mistakes done by U.S led government which resulted in distress
among local people. In 2007 Shinwar shooting, U.S army shot bullets on civilians and 12
were shot dead.

In 2009, in Kunduz Taliban hijacked two tankers. In response to this U.S army did air
strike in which 179 people were killed among them 100 were civilians.

In 2010, there was a massive leak of secret files of U.S of Afghan war. Due to this the
entire world criticized U.S. People of Afghanistan began to think that U.S army doesn’t
have any respect for Afghani people and their culture. Many government officials turned
against U.S.

On 2nd may, 2011, U.S army killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
 U.S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN
U.S stopped sending their army to fight with Taliban. Instead they sent Afghan security
forces to fight. Along with this NATO allies started to withdrew from Afghanistan. In
October 2014, U.S and Britain stopped their comrade operations in Afghanistan.

On 29th February, 2020, an agreement was signed between Taliban and U.S government
(president being Donald Trump) in Doha. It’s main features were, U.S withdrawal from
Afghanistan and Afghanistan will no longer support Al-Qaeda. But in this agreement
government of Afghanistan was not involved.

In August 2021, U.S completely withdrew from Afghanistan. During this time president
of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani fled away from Afghanistan.

U.S WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN

U.S stopped sending their army to fight with Taliban. Instead they sent Afghan security
forces to fight. Along with this NATO allies started to withdrew from Afghanistan. In
October 2014, U.S and Britain stopped their comrade operations in Afghanistan.

On 29th February, 2020, an agreement was signed between Taliban and U.S government
(president being Donald Trump) in Doha. It’s main features were, U.S withdrawal from
Afghanistan and Afghanistan will no longer support Al-Qaeda. But in this agreement
government of Afghanistan was not involved.

In August 2021, U.S completely withdrew from Afghanistan. During this time president
of Afghanistan, Ashraf Ghani fled away from Afghanistan.
 CONCLUSION

Afghanistan's journey has been marked by profound challenges and resilience. Over the
past few decades, the nation has faced a series of conflicts, political upheavals, and
humanitarian crises, which have deeply impacted its people and infrastructure. The
recent Taliban takeover in 2021 has intensified concerns regarding human rights,
particularly for women and minorities, and has led to widespread economic instability.

Despite these challenges, the Afghan people demonstrate remarkable strength and a
desire for peace and stability. Efforts by various international organizations and nations
continue to focus on humanitarian aid and support for education, healthcare, and
reconstruction. The path forward remains uncertain, as the international community
grapples with how to engage with the Taliban while advocating for fundamental rights
and freedoms.

Ultimately, Afghanistan's future hinges on a delicate balance of internal governance and

external relations. The potential for recovery exists, but it requires a commitment to
fostering inclusive dialogue, rebuilding trust, and prioritizing the well-being of its
citizens. The resilience of the Afghan people offers hope that, despite the daunting
obstacles, a more stable and prosperous future is possible.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Plindia.com
 Wikepedia.com
 Britannica.com
 Newyorktimes
 Whc.unesco.org
 Hindustantimes.com
 Theguardian.com
 Newzealand ministry of foreign affairs and trade
 Hrw.org
 Reliefweb.int
 Endgame in Afghanistan by Hiranmay Karlekar