1950 Afghan invasion of Balochistan
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| 1950 Chaman campaign | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Pashtunistan insurgency and Pakistan-Afghanistan skirmishes | |||||
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| Belligerents | |||||
 Pashtunistan separatists  Afghanistan[1][2] |
 Pakistan | ||||
| Units involved | |||||
|
Pro-Pashtunistan tribesmen Afghanistan Army |
 Pakistan Army Pakistan Air Force | ||||
On September 30, 1950, Afghan forces and pro-Pashtunistan tribesmen crossed the Durand line from Afghanistan and thus invaded Pakistan. The invading force penetrated about 30 km into Pakistan before being withdrawn by the counteroffensive initiated by Pakistani forces.
Background[edit]
Hostilities existed between Afghanistan and the newly independent Pakistan since 1947,[3] when Afghanistan became the only country to vote against the admission of Pakistan to the United Nations.[4] Before Pakistan's independence, Afghanistan advocated the independence of its north-west frontier,[5] although the region's predominant Pashtun population had voted overwhelmingly in favor of Pakistan over India in the referendum held in July 1947. 99.02% votes were cast in favor of Pakistan.[6][7] Though the proposed Pashtunistan state by Afghanistan fluctuated in size over time,[8] the Balochistan province of Pakistan was also frequently included in the Greater Pastunistan definition to gain access to the Arabian sea in case Pakistan failed as a state,[3] as Afghanistan had expected, but the idea became unpopular.[4]
The International border between British India and Afghanistan was established after the 1893 Durand Line Agreement between British Mortimer Durand of British India and Amir Abdur Rahman Khan of Afghanistan for fixing the limit of their respective spheres of influence. The single-page agreement, which contains seven short articles, was signed by Durand and Khan, agreeing not to exercise political interference beyond the frontier line between what was then the Emirate of Afghanistan and what was also then the British Indian Empire.[9] The Durand Line was reaffirmed as the International Border between Afghanistan and British India in the 1919 Anglo-Afghan War after the Afghan independence. The Afghans undertook to stop interference on the British side of the line in the subsequent Anglo-Afghan Treaty of 1919 in Rawalpindi.[10]
Pakistan inherited the Durand Line agreement after its independence in 1947, but the Afghan Government has always refused to accept the Durand Line Agreement. Afghanistan has several times tried to seize Pakistan's western provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The then Afghan Prime Minister, Muhammad Hashim, said "if an independent Pashtunistan cannot be set up, the frontier province should join Afghanistan. Our neighbor Pakistan will realize that our country, with its population and trade, needs an outlet to the sea, which is very essential", in an interview with the Statesman.[3] In 1949, Pakistan Air Force bombed the Afghan sponsored militant camps in border areas including an Afghan village to curb an unrest led by Ipi Faqir propagating independent Pashtunistan.[11] Border clashes were reported in 1949–50 for the first time.[4]
Invasion[edit]
On 30 September 1950, Afghan forces and allied pro-Pashtunistan tribesmen crossed Durand line and occupied Bogra pass, a strategic pass about 30 km north of Chaman with the aim of capturing the Quetta-Chaman railway link[12]. The invading force containing Afghan troops was also supported by Afghan artillery[13]. Although Afghanistan government officially denied it's involvement and asserted that the invaders were pro-Pashtunistan tribesmen.[14][11][4]
Counteroffensive[edit]
Upon the reception of reports about Afghan invasion, Pakistan Army was rushed to the area of Bogra pass about 30km northwest of Chaman to repel the invasion[15].Pakistan Air Force also bombed enemy positions and it had a key impact. Invading force soon retreated to the mountainous area of Dobandi, which was a strategic stronghold it became very difficult to dislodge enemy positions but Pakistan Air Force led a bombing campaign against the invading force[11]. At last after 6 days of fighting Pakistani forces retook the control of area and Afghan invading force was pushed back into Afghan territory.[11]
References[edit]
- ↑ Sultan M Hali. "Breaking the myths of Pakistan ruining Afghanistan". defence.pk. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 2024-01-25. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Kaur 1985, p. 108-109.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Emadi, Hafiullah (1990). "Durand Line and Afghan-Pak relations". Economic and Political Weekly. 25 (28).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Hasan, Khurshid (1962). Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. 2. pp. 14–24. Search this book on
- ↑ C. Christine Fair; Sarah J. Watson (18 February 2015). Pakistan's Enduring Challenges. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 281–. ISBN 978-0-8122-4690-2. Search this book on
- ↑ Electoral History of NWFP (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2013. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) Search this book on
- ↑ Michael Brecher (25 July 2017). A Century of Crisis and Conflict in the International System: Theory and Evidence: Intellectual Odyssey III. Springer. ISBN 9783319571560. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 25 July 2017. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) Search this book on
- ↑ C. Christine Fair; Sarah J. Watson (18 February 2015). Pakistan's Enduring Challenges. University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 281–. ISBN 978-0-8122-4690-2. Search this book on
- ↑ Smith, Cynthia (August 2004). "A Selection of Historical Maps of Afghanistan – The Durand Line". United States: Library of Congress. Archived from the original on 6 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2011. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Sidebotham, Herbert (16 August 1919). "The Third Afghan War". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2009.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Amin, Abdul Hameed (2001). "Remembering our Warriors: Major-General Baber and Bhutto's Operation Cyclone". Pakistan Military Consortium and Directorate for the Military History Research (DMHR). Pakistan Defence Journal. Archived from the original on 28 April 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "forgotten history of Pak Afghan relations".
- ↑ "Timeline of Pakistan Afghanistan relations".
- ↑ "Did Pakistan destroy Afghanistan". Archived from the original on 2016-04-28.
- ↑ "Timeline of Pakistan Afghanistan relations".
Bibliography[edit]
- Kaur, Kulwant (1985). Pak-Afghanistan Relations. Deep & Deep Publications. ISBN 9780836418040. Search this book on
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