International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest

Extract

The first Afghan left party, the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA), was founded in 1965 by urban intellectuals who sought to modernize the country and deter foreign intervention. The leftists supported the overthrow of the monarchy in 1973 and were granted four ministerial posts in Muhammad Doud's republican government. In the next few years, however, Muhammad Doud's authoritarian trend led to the formation of his absolutist regime, leaving no democratic freedoms. PDPA was banned and leading leftists went into exile. In the late 1970s, political tensions escalated with the economic stagnation brought about by the drastic shrinkage of foreign development assistance. Afghan-US relations soured over Doud's support for Pashtun activists waging a longstanding autonomy struggle with Pakistan. The Baluchistan region of Pakistan extends into Afghanistan, and the people of the region have sought to create an independent state. In response to Doud's support for the Pashtun autonomy movement, the US halted development projects in Afghanistan. Soviet aid was not enough to sustain the Afghan economy and pervasive poverty strengthened public support for communist and Islamist radical movements. Due to growing impoverishment, spontaneous uprisings flared up in the provinces, and the Afghan government's effort to repress mounting dissent created even greater public opposition. The ... log in or subscribe to read full text