Ans: Pak-Afghan Relations:
1. Afghanistan is our neighbouring Islamic country. Both have old religious,
historical, cultural, racial and geographical relations.
2. Pakistan had no pleasant relations with Afghanistan in the very beginning.
Afghanistan recognized Pakistan very late and diplomatic relations were
developed in February 1948.
3. Afghanistan is a land-locked country. It does not have access to the sea.
Afghanistan was facing difficulty in establishing trade relations with other
countries. Keeping this situation in view, Pakistan provided transit facilities to
Afghanistan. Permission was accorded to transport goods from and to the
seaport of Karachi.
5. Relations were strained again after an army revolution in Afghanistan in April
1978 and the Dec. 1979 Russian invasion. Afghan government used the
Russian army to crush the opposition. Millions of Afghans left their country
and sought refuge in Pakistan. Pakistan gave them refuge for humanity and
Islamic spirit.
6. The tragedy of the World Trade Center on 11th Sept. 2001 provided America
an excuse for attacking Afghanistan. The Taliban government was removed
and a new government was appointed. Pakistan extended cooperation to the
new government and gave financial aid for the reconstruction of Afghanistan
with a promise to keep up this support.
7. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani visited Pakistan in 2019 and met with the
Prime Minister of Pakistan. In this meeting the two leaders agreed to work
together for peace and prosperity in the region. They also agreed to remove
barriers to trade corridor and bilaterál trade. In future, it is expected good
relations between the two countries.