Pakistan diplomat recalls Soviet pullout from Afghanistan
Afghanistan had a complete history of foreign invaders annexed by the USSR. On 15 Feb 1989, the Soviet Union left Afghanistan. Former Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan, as a young diplomat at the time of USSR pull out, participated in Pakistan’s negotiating team. The Soviet Union invaded Afghan soil in 1979.
The Pakistani diplomat shared the series of events during the USSR troops’ withdrawal. In 1988, an agreement was signed by the USSR with Pakistan and Afghanistan under the guarantee of the US. The Soviet Union left Afghanistan under this agreement. After withdrawal, the civil war started between the Afghan military and the Mujahideen due to a lack of government structure. The accord with the USSR created space within the Pakistan government. In May 1988, Zia-Ul-Haq removed Prime Minister Muhammad Khan Jonejo for signing it.
Riaz Mohammad Khan shed some light on the similarities and differences between the USSR and US pullout from Afghanistan. He said that there were more dissimilarities in both pullouts. He discussed the differences between the Ashraf Ghani government and the military that proved the wall of sand after US troops’ withdrawal, then the Najibullah government and the PDPA (People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan) army, which stood for three years. Taliban came into power after the Washington withdrawal, but two Mujahideen groups originated after the Najibullah government competed for Kabul.
Mikhail Gorbachev, the final leader of the USSR, informed Najibullah about the withdrawal of forces in 1986. The departure of the Soviet Union was welcomed by Pakistan, easing the pressure of security risks from the northwest border. Pakistan emphasized the government set up in Kabul before the USSR withdrawal, but it could not happen. Russia sought the cooperation of Pakistan for establishing a government in Afghanistan by negotiations between the Kabul government and Mujahideen leaders. But Pakistan got stuck to its complex politics and left the matter to the Soviet Union.
The Soviets called for the signing of the Geneva accord in the last phase of negotiation. The USSR wanted to leave in the shadow of the UN accord. The agreement was structured in 1986, but the withdrawal time frame was not mentioned. The Soviets waited for Pakistan’s response to establish a broad-based government in Afghanistan. Then the Soviets declared the one-year withdrawal timeframe.
Pakistan presented the formula for the broad-based government, but Mujahideen rejected the formula forecasted by its government after USSR troops pulled out. It was too late by Pakistani officials to engage the Mujahideen in negotiations. Kabul refused to accept the 2640 km Durand line between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Pakistani diplomats rejected the Janejo government’s dismissal depending on the Geneva accord. There was no difference in opinion on the Geneva accord between Zia and Junejo. The imbalance between the executive and administrative power led to the removal of Jonejo by the Zia-ul-Haq. The demand for the Ojeri camp incident was the second cause of the removal of Junejo. The Ojeri camp incident was a dreadful event that took place in 1988. The camp was used as an ammunition depot for Mujahideen, who were fighting against the USSR. If inquiry could occur, top generals would stick to the investigation.
“If it were Geneva, Zia could have dismissed Junejo much before the signing of Geneva, not several weeks after the event,” he said.
Pakistan intelligence pressurized the government to accept the interim Mujahideen government but the Zia government refused to accept it. Mujahideen attacked Jalalabad with the help of intelligence agencies after the allowance from Benazir Bhutto. But the Mujahideen lost the battle from the Afghan army and dispersed.
The failure to establish the government after both withdrawal of troops in 1989 and 2021 destroyed Afghanistan. The foreign invaders left the Afghan people at the mercy of fighters and the Taliban. The government structure should be created before leaving Afghanistan. The Americans repeated the same mistake as the USSR did in 1989. The Americans learned no lesson from history.
Source:
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2343415/pakistan-diplomat-recalls-soviet-pullout-from-afghanistan
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