Afghanistan Follows India's Water Strategy: Building Dams to Restrict Pakistan's Access to Kunar River

New Delhi:

Afghanistan has taken a page from India's strategy this week by moving to restrict Pakistan's water access through building dams across the Kunar River "as soon as possible." This directive came directly from Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, as announced by the Taliban's acting Water Minister on social media platform X.

In his announcement, Minister Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor emphasized that "Afghans have the right to manage their own water" and specified that construction would be handled by domestic companies rather than foreign entities.

This urgent initiative comes amid escalating tensions along the Durand Line - the contested 2,600-km border with Pakistan - following Islamabad's accusations that Kabul is supporting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, which Pakistan has designated as a terrorist organization.

The Taliban's water restriction strategy mirrors actions taken by India after the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22. Within 24 hours of that incident, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a 65-year-old agreement governing the sharing of waters from the Indus and its tributaries.

The Kunar River spans nearly 500km, originating in the Hindu Kush mountains within Pakistan's Chitral district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It flows southward into Afghanistan, traversing the Kunar and Nangarhar provinces before joining the Kabul River.

These combined waterways, further enhanced by the Pech River, then turn eastward back into Pakistan and eventually merge with the Indus near Attock city in Pakistan's Punjab province.

The river, referred to as the Kabul at this point, ranks among the largest waterways flowing into Pakistan and, similar to the Indus, serves as a critical resource for irrigation, drinking water, and hydroelectric power generation, particularly for the remote Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region that has been experiencing cross-border violence.

If Afghanistan proceeds with constructing dams on the Kunar/Kabul before it enters Pakistan, it would severely restrict Pakistan's access to water for agricultural purposes and communities already experiencing water shortages due to India's supply limitations.

Crucially, unlike the Indus Waters Treaty signed between Islamabad and Delhi, no formal agreements govern the sharing of these particular waters, leaving Pakistan without immediate recourse to compel Kabul to reverse course.

This development has heightened concerns about potential escalation of Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict.

Since taking control of the Afghan government in August 2021, the Taliban has prioritized asserting authority over rivers and canals throughout the country, including those flowing westward into Central Asia, by constructing dams and canals to ensure food security.

A notable example is the controversial Qosh Tepa canal under construction in northern Afghanistan. Planned to extend 285 km, it is expected to transform over 550,000 hectares of arid land into productive farmland.

Experts warn that this canal could divert up to 21 percent of the Amu Darya river, potentially affecting already water-stressed nations such as Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Last week, the Taliban's Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, made an official visit to India, during which he specifically acknowledged support for building and maintaining a dam in Herat province.

A joint statement noted that "both sides also underscored the importance of sustainable water management and agreed to cooperate on hydroelectric projects with a view to addressing Afghanistan's energy needs and supporting its agricultural development."