In 1979, the Russian forces invaded Afghanistan. Communism came to the thresh hold of Pakistan when the government of Afghanistan was over thrown by forces led by Babrak Karmel. Some 1,20,000 Russian troops entered Afghanistan .The Afghan people organized a resistance force against the blatant aggression. The Soviet forces had to suffer greatly in terms of men and material. The Afghan war proved expensive even for a world power like the Soviet Union. In the beginning the Soviet army was successful in occupying and controlling Afghanistan. It has always been said about Afghanistan that it can be invaded and occupied easily but it is very difficult to hold and control it. Afghans have a history of resisting foreign invaders. The British imperial power failed in all three attempts to occupy and control Afghanistan. The Soviets were to learn the same lesson. General Zia stood against the spread of Communism. The solution to Afghanistan according to him was reiterated in 1983 at New Delhi, he said that Pakistan has given political Asylum to millions of Afghans. He demanded the expulsion of Russian forces from Afghanistan. America responded to the call of Pakistan and flooded Pakistan with monetary help to finance the anti communist regime in Afghanistan and to equip the freedom fighters in Afghanistan. The freedom fighters ''''the mujahideen'''' put forward a strong resistance to the Russian invasion. Although the Afghans suffered enormous causalities in the beginning of the war but the turning point in the war came when the US supplied the Stinger missiles to the Afghans.

General Zia’s gamble in supporting the Russian invasion in Afghanistan paid him huge dividends. On the domestic front his policy of Islamization became more relevant as it was seen that in the neighboring Afghanistan Islam was in danger. As Pakistan was a front line state huge amount of money, military equipment and aid arrived in Pakistan. The huge amounts of aid that poured in propped up Zia’s government. With the Afghan problem a new phase of modernization of the military stared. The arms provided to Afghanistan freedom fighters were also provided to Pakistan army .As a result the Pakistan army became better equipped.

Other than the problems faced due to the Afghan war efforts, the Soviet Empire was breaking apart at the seams. This led the Soviet empire to seek peace in Afghanistan. Negotiations on Afghanistan were carried out under Zia’s government, the Geneva Accord was signed on April 14,1988 under which the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw its forces in two installments .The Soviet government lived up to its commitment of withdrawal of forces according to the agreed timetable.

The victory in Afghanistan was achieved at a great cost to Pakistan. It had to look after and feed more than three million Afghan refugees that had crossed over to Pakistan. The refugees were a great economic burden on Pakistan not only this but, they also caused the problem of drugs and guns running in the country.