Between Brotherhood and Betrayal: A Historical Analysis of Afghanistan–Pakistan Relations

Authors

  • Syed Rizwan Haider Bukhari Department of Political Science, Islamia College University Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63539/isrn.2026003

Keywords:

Pakistan–Afghanistan Relations, Pashtunistan Issue, Soviet Invasion, Taliban, Hybrid Warfare, RAW–NDS Nexus, South Asian Geopolitics, Regional Security.

Abstract

This paper will analyze how Afghanistan-Pakistan relations have changed through history since 1947 to 2025, the cycles of suspicion, antagonism, and strategic deceit that have defined bilateral relations. Regardless of the common religious, cultural, and historical associations, the relations between the two states have been mostly characterized by political hostility, irredentist demands, and hidden interventions. The study follows this pattern through major historical events: Afghanistan opposition to Pakistan joining the United Nations, the discourse of Pashtunistan and Durand Line, the change in attitude during the Cold War, the Soviet Afghanistan War, Mujahideen and Taliban, post 9/11 security paradox, and current cross border militancy and hybrid warfare. The paper holds that an insecurity complex that is based on ethno-nationalism, foreign patronage, and a challenged national identity has produced most of the state behavior of Afghanistan. On the other hand, the response to perceived existential threats by Pakistan has alternated between diplomacy, strategic acumen and defensive realism. The study finds that lasting peace and stability in the region is only achievable when Afghanistan establishes a new political identity other than irredentist discourses and foreign influence, and a model of collaborative coexistence with Pakistan.

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Author Biography

  • Syed Rizwan Haider Bukhari, Department of Political Science, Islamia College University Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
    Syed Rizwan Haider Bukhari is a notable PHD of Political Science in Islamia College Peshawar, Pakistan. He also completed his Master, as well as MPhil in Political Science, at the same institution and graduated with distinction. His fields of interest are in political theory, public policy, foreign affairs, and the socio-political relations of South Asia and the international system. Mr. Bukhari is both a scholar and is intellectually rich as he has been authoring 75 research papers in national and international peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes. In addition to his publications, he is an active member of the global academic community, being a reviewer of ten international journals, where his constructive and informative feedback during the process of a review in a double-blind mode is appreciated. His work has an academic influence in the metrics of his research. On Google scholar, he is cited 230 times. His Interest Score of 1000 plus on Researchgate ranks him in the top 7 percent of researchers globally on the site,  his h-index is 9 and i10-index is 6. Holding a firm belief in research excellence and academic integrity, Syed Rizwan Haider Bukhari remains an important participant in the current discourse in the political science field, not only in Pakistan but throughout the global academic space.    

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Published

17-02-2026

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 1 (2026): January-April

Section

Review Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Syed Rizwan Haider Bukhari (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Bukhari, S. R. H. (2026). Between Brotherhood and Betrayal: A Historical Analysis of Afghanistan–Pakistan Relations. International Social Research Nexus (ISRN), 2(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.63539/isrn.2026003

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