God, Land, and a Heated Debate: When Zia Met Taraki

When Pakistan’s General Zia-ul-Haq met Afghan President Nur Mohammed Taraki in 1978, Taraki was introduced to Zia as a comrade. Taraki reportedly told Zia about the exploitation of the Afghan population at the hands of the royal family for 200 years and how the revolution had given land to nearly 11 million people. Zia gainsaid Taraki by saying that all land belongs to God. Taraki retorted by pointing out that the land belongs to the tiller. 


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When Zia told Taraki that one should be fearful of God and should recognize his obligations towards God, Taraki responded by calling God just and stating that one should not fear a just God. Albeit this conversation might feel insignificant, it elucidates the ideological differences between an Islamist Zia and a Communist Taraki very well. Pakistan had recognized the new regime and maintained diplomatic relations with it, but the rise of communists to power in Afghanistan had accelerated the Pakistan-backed Islamist insurgency. Zia’s regime actively supported the insurgents in Afghanistan.

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