a house divided, 1933–73Pakistan’s prime minister, Muhammad ‘Ali, ignored Da’ud’s protests
and went ahead with his One Unit Plan, so in March 1955 Da’ud publicly
announced that ‘the Afghan people do not consider Pushtunistan as part
[of ] Pakistan territory’ and declared a State of Emergency. 36 The Pakistani
consulates in Kabul, Jalalabad and Kandahar were attacked by mobs, the
Pakistani flag burnt and that of Pushtunistan raised instead. Pakistan retali-
ated by sacking the Afghan consulate in Peshawar and reimposing transit
restrictions on cross-border activity. Da’ud responded by sending tribal
lashkars to attack the Bajur Agency, only for them to withdraw in the
face of stiff resistance from the Pakistan army. In November a specially
convened Loya Jirga called for a plebiscite on Pushtunistan. The following
month, during the visit of the Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin and Party
Secretary Nikita Khrushchev, the two governments issued a joint declar-
ation that included a call for self-determination for Pushtuns. As Pakistan
and Afghanistan teetered on the brink of war, Turkey and Saudi Arabia
offered to mediate, with the support of the United States. This led to a less-
ening of tensions and diplomatic relations were restored in the middle of
- The following year King Zahir Shah even paid a state visit to Pakistan.
The dispute, though, flared up again at the end of 1958 in the wake of
General ’Ayub Khan’s military coup. Despite being a Pushtun, ’Ayub had
no time for Pushtunistan. In the crackdown that followed his declar ation
of martial law, ‘Abd al-Ghaffar Khan and other Red Shirt leaders were once
more arrested. The Afghan government demanded their release and when
this was not forthcoming, 15,000 tribal irregulars marched into Bajur in
September 1960 claiming they were supporting the Khan of Jandol against
Under the pdpa Communist governments Pushtunistan continued to be promoted
by the state. From left to right a 1979 issue showing Pushtuns and the Pushtunistan flag;
by 1982 the Pushtuns are now armed and the flag raised for war; this 1985 issue depicts the
Pushtunistan flag flying in Kabul’s Pushtunistan Square surrounding by tribesmen dancing
the atan. By this time the ‘Journee Nationale’ also included support
of Baluchistan independence.