Afghanistan’s announcement to expedite the construction of dams on the Kunar River has reignited tensions with Pakistan, already unsettled by India’s suspension of the Indus Water Treaty following the Pahalgam terror attack in April. The move is expected to further strain Islamabad’s water security concerns amid its increasingly fragile ties with both neighbours.
In a statement shared on X, Taliban’s Deputy Information Minister Muhajer Farahi said that “His Eminence Amir al-Mu’mineen,” referring to Taliban Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, has directed the Ministry of Water and Energy to “begin construction of dams on the Kunar River as soon as possible” and to award contracts exclusively to domestic companies instead of waiting for foreign involvement.
The announcement comes shortly after a ceasefire was brokered between Afghanistan and Pakistan following a series of armed hostilities along the Durand Line, further highlighting the deep mistrust between the two countries.
The Kunar River, known as the Chitral River in Pakistan, flows approximately 480 kilometres across northern Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan. Originating from the Chiantar glacier on the border of Gilgit Baltistan and Chitral, the river enters Afghanistan at Arandu, later merging with the Kabul River in Nangarhar Province. Fed by the melting glaciers and snow of the Hindu Kush mountains, the river system is a critical freshwater resource for both nations.
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have been tense for months, with repeated border skirmishes and mutual accusations. Pakistan has long accused the Taliban government of harbouring Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants responsible for numerous attacks against its security forces. Several Pakistani soldiers have been killed in cross-border assaults, prompting Islamabad to heighten its rhetoric against the Taliban regime.
The recent diplomatic developments have added to the unease. Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s week-long visit to New Delhi earlier this month was met with hostility in Islamabad, as Pakistan viewed the engagement between India and the Taliban-led government as a potential shift in regional alignments. Notably, Kabul experienced drone strikes on the very first day of Muttaqi’s visit.
Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban leadership has repeatedly underscored the importance of asserting Afghanistan’s “water sovereignty.” However, the lack of a formal water-sharing agreement between the two neighbours has made any such project a potential flashpoint.
According to the International Water Management Institute, nine rivers cross the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, yet none are governed by a treaty or institutional mechanism to regulate shared water resources.
In the past, Pakistan has raised objections to Afghanistan’s plans for hydro-infrastructure development, citing fears of reduced water flow into its territory. With both countries relying heavily on these transboundary rivers for agriculture and livelihoods, Kabul’s latest move threatens to deepen regional frictions at a time when South Asia’s water politics are already under pressure from climate change and geopolitical rivalry.
