Chapter 2 continues…

The rest continued to go directly to commanders for special operations determined by the ISI or as rewards for participating in training. The exclusive ISI control over the Jihad, apart from ensuring that American involvement in the Afghan Jihad remained less than obvious, also helped guarantee that only candidates favourable to Pakistan’s military and strategic goals received the bulk of the weapons and assistance. As discussed above, Pakistan was keen to undermine the threat posed by Pashtun nationalism.

The Zia regime saw the Afghan Jihad as a means to put an end to Afghan demands for ‘Pashtunistan’ or a redrawing of the Afghanistan- Pakistan border by ensuring that a pliable pro-Pakistan Pashtun mujahideen government came to power in Kabul.21 As mentioned before, in order to ensure this, the ISI only supported and recognised those political parties which were religiously oriented.

In particular, it was Hekmatyar, who was the ISI’s favoured mujahideen as he was the most radical of all the seven leaders. Moreover, he was a Pashtun and the ISI believed that if he was placed in power in Kabul, his ethnic and religious orientation would allow them to control him. In order to ensure that there was less opposition to his ascendancy, the ISI restricted aid and weapons supply to Massoud, probably the most competent commander of the Afghan resistance.

Moreover, Massoud was a fiercely independent Tajik,who was not withstanding from anyone and was perceived to have strong ties with Iran. Heavy convoys dispatched by Pakistani intelligence to the Panjshir Valley, Massoud’s stronghold, mysteriously disappeared. He received only 1 percent, a total of 8, Stinger missiles, the war’s most important weapon, and that also as late as 1991.

Pakistan also sent military personnel into Afghanistan. Their task was to accompany mujahideen on special operations, act as advisors and assist the commanders in carrying out their tasks, which ranged from blowing up oil pipelines or mounting rocket attacks on airfields to laying ambushes.

To be continued…