Khan Abdul Wali Khan Stance on Afghan War (1979-89)

Khan Abdul Wali Khan Stance on Afghan War (1979-89)

The charismatic personality of Abdul Wali khan left an indelible impression on the overall politics of Pakistan. He also had a significant stance on the Afghans crises, when Soviet (USSR) invaded Afghanistan in December 1979. Therefore, N.W.F.P (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) has proximity with Afghanistan and significant Pashtun population living on both sides of the Durand line alarmed the leaders in the N.W.F.P. Therefore, it was natural for the leaders in Frontier Province to take the stance which would have been in the best interest of population living on both sides of the border.

Therefore, in this crisis the great leaders took the perception that, the Afghanistan invasion by Soviet Union (USSR) and subsequent USA initiatives to evict Soviet Union, with the collaboration of Pakistan and many Muslim countries, from Afghanistan is only the conflict between two super powers of cold war and he advised the government to not indulge in the Afghanistan, lest it metastasize to Pakistan.

The book titled as’’ Khan Abdul Wali Khan’’ published in 2012 by the author ‘Tahir Munir’ highlighted that “it was a war of two great super powers USA and USSR, Pakistan involvement in it would badly affect Pakistan specially Pashtun regions.’’ (Munir, Khan Abdul Wali Khan , 2012).

Khan Abdul Wali khanin an interview with ‘’Feroz Ahmed’’ said that ‘’ I strongly condemn Pakistan alliance with US and its involvement in military pacts which will led USA into a single imperialist power. (Wali khan, Feroz Ahmed, 1972).

“Bacha Khan aur Khudai Khidmatgari” writes US interests in military pacts with Pakistan was that utilizing Pakistan land against USSR in Afghanistan will prevent their sovereignty and Pakistan can be used as a decay on which the Russian military hard ware can be wasted, and the war will be no longer an Afghan war but the war of two great super powers US and USSR,and unfortunately Afghans will be perished in it.(khan, 1998)

Wali Khan had a very clear stance on Afghanistan crisis from the Saur revolution to Hamid Karzai regime. Wali Khan said that the Afghanistan crisis is the interest of US and Russia. He always stated that it’s the war of two great super powers or in his own words the war of two big bulls in which the frog is being crushed. Wali Khan said that the solution for Afghanistan crisis is in Loya Jirga. He states that if the supply of weapons from Pakistan to Afghanistan being stopped so the war in Afghanistan will ultimately came to an end.(Khan B. N., 1989).

Wali Khan view on afghan jihad was that two centers of power have been emerged these days in the world one which wants peace for they believe that cannot resolve any issue they believe that war can bring havoc, disaster, wreck the country and shed the innocent people and every veteran and mature want peace in the world therefore all issues to be resolved through dialogues. On the other hand there is also a power for which war is profitable these powers depends on the same very factories which create lethal weapons for the terrorism. These because of imperialist policies that many have been deprived of peace, cloth and their shelter. Therefore we want peace to cloth the unclothe, feed the unfed and educate the uneducated because only by providing these things imperialist power can be ward off, war is beneficial for them but not for us. (Hewad, 2006).

When Wali Khan was invited by the Afro-Asian People’s Organization (AAPSO) to Russia and was asked on the issue of Pakistan and Afghanistan crisis, so he tells to the members of organization that“the solution for Afghanistan crisis is that USSR must bring back the forces from Afghanistan because for how long your forces will be there America will interfere in the region and will not only in Afghanistan but America will also be interfering in Pakistan too. And with the danger of the use of hardware machines,the extremism will also be on its high peak”.

Wali Khan added to Moscow TV that“the method of war had been changed, many periods ago the war was in closed formation and only those people participate in war who loves to fight, but today in gorilla war the fighters are safe in their own places and the innocent people are being targeted in war and their peaceful cities and homes are being destroyed.That’s why only Russia has now the power to face the militarist America.

Khan Abdul Wali Khan was a nationalist Pashtun leader. He refrained Pakistan from the domestic affairs of Afghanistan, lest the fire in Afghanistan will burn Pakistan. Wali Khan had enlightened in great detail that Pakistan involvement in military pacts helps the interests of some of the imperialist powers in their international policy. He said that it was just like a little frog inviting big bulls to fight in its surroundings. What happens next is that when the bulls fight the frog gets crushed.

Khan Abdul Wali Khan Stance on Afghan War (1979-89) Written By: Aimal Khan Mandoori

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