Pakistan–Afghanistan relations have never been good, having varied between very bad and not so bad, marked by a consistent mistrust. There are mainly two issues that determine their bilateral relations: one is historical, namely the Durand Line, and the other is contemporary, which is terrorism. The contemporary issue has its roots in the historical one. Pakistan has pursued different policies to tackle both, without much success. This write-up attempts to understand how Pakistan has been managing its relations with Afghanistan, its policies, and to develop a different approach.

Relations between states are not relations between religions or ethnicities. A certain mindset, an approach, consciously or unconsciously develops, based on a combination of special interests, historical evolution and belief systems, which gives shape to views, perceptions and interpretations of facts, resulting in policies. In the case of Pakistan, a self-view and world view has developed based on the history of the division of India based on religion, military dominance of decision-making, and uneven development.

This mindset sees and interprets relations with India as a constant conflict between Hindus and Muslims, due to the Indian National Congress’s opposition to the creation of Pakistan. Differences arising out of disputes over division have led to the perception of a constant existential threat from India. Failure to develop a democratic polity, leading to military dominance, has translated the Indian threat into a military threat, making physical survival the most important challenge at the expense of economic and social challenges. This has created an overlapping of interests between the religious right, the military establishment, and a broad spectrum of co-opted civilian sections, classes and individuals.

This India-centric security threat, couched in religious terms, has bred a foreign policy which sees Pakistan’s relations with other states, big or small, with reference to India. It has learnt that religion is a good tool of policy, a strong rallying cry against India and, since the Soviet intervention—or rather since Sardar Daud’s takeover—in Afghanistan........

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