Page 239 - Failure to Triumph - Journey of A Student

Pakistan is also currently having dialogue with India regarding the Baglihar Dam being built over the
River Chenab in Jammu and Kashmir.

Water Rights

The Indus Waters Treaty governs the rivers that flow from India into Pakistan. Water is cited as one

possible cause for a conflict between the two nations, but to date issues such as the Nimoo Bazgo
Project have been resolved through diplomacy.

Bengal Refugee Crisis

In 1949, India recorded close to 1 million Hindu refugees, who flooded into West Bengal and other
states from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), owing to communal violence, intimidation and
repression from authorities. The plight of the refugees outraged Hindus and Indian nationalists, and
the refugee population drained the resources of Indian states, which were unable to absorb them.

While not ruling out war, Prime Minister Nehru and Sardar Patel invited Liaquat Ali Khan for talks in
Delhi. Although many Indians termed this appeasement, Nehru signed a pact with Liaquat Ali Khan
that pledged both nations to the protection of minorities and creation of minority commissions.
Although opposed to the principle, Patel decided to back this Pact for the sake of peace, and played a
critical role in garnering support from West Bengal and across India, and enforcing the provisions of
the Pact. Khan and Nehru also signed a trade agreement, and committed to resolving bilateral disputes

through peaceful means. Steadily, hundreds of thousands of Hindus returned to East Pakistan, but the
thaw in relations did not last long, primarily owing to the Kashmir dispute.

Afghanistan

Both Pakistan and India consider their relations with Afghanistan as most important. Both countries
have fought proxy wars against each other, and both countries are reportedly making an extensive
effort to gain influence on Afghan Government for their own regional interests. The Soviet Union in
1979 intervened to protect the fragile communist government and prevent the collapse of Afghanistan

Soviet Socialist Republic (Afghanistan SSR) into the hands of hard-line Islamist forces. With the
deployment of Soviet Union’s 40th Army, new strains appeared in Indo-Pakistani relations, and proxy
war between India and Pakistan began to take place first time in Afghanistan. Pakistan, with the
backing of the United States, actively supported the Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union, which
was a close ally of India, which brought opposing political opinions. India, on the other hand,
supported the communist government.

After the Taliban defeated the Northern Alliance in much of Afghanistan in 1996 civil war, the

Taliban regime was strongly supported by Pakistan. India firmly opposed the Taliban and criticized
Pakistan for supporting it. India established its links with Northern Alliance as India officially
recognized their government, with the United Nations. India’s relations with Afghanistan, Pakistan’s
neighbour, and its increasing presence there has irked Pakistan.