REPORT OF AFGHAN-PAKISTANI CONFEDERATION PLANS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01443R000200230005-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 7, 1998
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: April 13, 1954
• Content Type: BRIEF

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13 April 1954
REPORT OF AFGHAN-PAKISTANI
CONFEDERATION PLANS
I. Karachi despatch dated 10 April to New
York Times alleges that a plan for
confederation of Pakistan and Afghanistan
has been under consideration for a year
and is now near fruition. Core of plan is
said to be a "jointly administered foreign
policy." A distorted version of this
article has already been broadcast by Tass
from Moscow.
II. There are no intelligence reports which
would tend to confirm existence of such
plan. Internal evidence in Times article
suggests that it originates with Pakistani
ambassador to Kabul, Col. A.S.E. Shah, who
is believed to hold flamboyantly optimistic
views on future Pakistani-Afghan relations.
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III. It is true that there have been recent
indications of improvement in Pakistan's
relations with Afghanistan. Afghanistan
has intimated interest in defense pact
similar to that made by Pakistan and
Turkey on 2 April, if dispute over
Pushtoonistan settled. Violence of
Afghan press campaign on Pushtoonistan
issue has moderated slightly in recent
months, and possibility of settlement of
this dispute now appears better than any
time since 1947.
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IV. Col. Shah told in Kabul in`
late March that Pakistan was prepared to
make technical assistance worth $12,000,000
annually available to Afghanistan and, if
practicable, to sign a joint defense pact,
in return for settlement of Pushtoonistan.
Not known whether Shah has made this offer
to Afghans, nor certain that Karachi would
subscribe to details of Shah's plans. Times"
article cited above is probably expansion
or distortion of what Shah is reported to
have had in mind about three weeks ago.
V. Given political and geographical position
of Afghanistan, long-standing determination
to maintain independence and antagonism
toward Pakistan, confederation of two
countries appears to be out of question
under present conditions.
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