Impact of the Taliban reappearance on Afghanistan foreign policy on Pakistan during Hamid Karzai period

This thesis focuses on the foreign policy of Afghanistan towards Pakistan, especially in terms of the impact of the Taliban's reappearance on the foreign policy of Afghanistan towards Pakistan during Hamid Karzai's period. The main aspects behind the controversial relations with Pakistan, are further analyzed within the two phase. The thesis answers the questions of 'what impactful factors have determined Afghan foreign policy towards Pakistan' and 'how Islamic fundamentalism is used as a soft power instrument of Pakistan foreign policy towards Afghanistan'. Qualitative analysis is employed within this research on the basis of the political and historical developments in Afghanistan within the designated periods-from 1947 to 2001 and the latter being 2001 to 2014. This thesis consists of five main sections. First section gives a general framework on the study. Second chapter defines some key concepts like fundamentalism, soft power, Afghanistan's historical background and Afghanistan foreign policies doctrine. Third chapter presents historical background of Afghanistan's foreign policy toward Pakistan in consideration with the international developments such as bipolar era, Cold War and 9/11 events with a brief overview of the relations of the two countries in relation to Afghanistan's historical and political developments. Furthermore in this section it attempts to explain the main factors that have influenced the two nation's relations within both periods-the Durand Line and the Pashtunistan problem. However, in the following years, while maintaining the real problem, new problems emerged. Such new problems include the Taliban terrorist organization, India-Afghanistan relations, Transit issue problem and Water sharing problem. Fourth chapter presents the impact of Taliban reappearance as the most influential factors on Afghanistan's foreign policy on Pakistan in Hamid Karzai's period, especially in explaining the role of Taliban fundamentalist group as soft power in instrument of Pakistan's foreign policy toward Afghanistan. Furthermore, it attempts to explain the impact of what is termed as 'Pakistani double game' on the Afghanistan's peace process. It focuses on interesting phenomena played by both Pakistan and the international players within the region. Since Pakistan's establishment, the nation has exercised political intervention in the Afghanistan internal affairs, and thus, weakening the central government in Kabul as an approach in overcoming the controversial problems between the two nations. In order to solve and exercise control within the mentioned problems, Pakistan has been using fundamentalist groups such as Mujahedeen groups which had close ties to her and later on the Taliban. In conclusion, analysis on how the post reappearance of the Taliban served to worsen the two neighboring nations' already weak relations are provided. Pakistan's use of fundamentalism as a soft power in its foreign policy following the 9/11 September has further fragmented the weak relations with Afghanistan. Keywords: Afghanistan, Foreign Policy, Fundamentalism, Pakistan, Soft Power, Taliban.