The Taliban government in Afghanistan has ordered the construction of dams on the Kunar river, signalling a move that could restrict water flow to Pakistan, the Afghan Information Ministry confirmed. The directive comes from Taliban Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, who instructed the Ministry of Water and Energy to initiate dam projects “as fast as possible” and to prioritise domestic Afghan companies for construction contracts.

This announcement comes weeks after deadly clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan along the Durand Line, and follows India’s decision to keep the Indus Waters Treaty partially in abeyance after terrorist attacks in Pahalgam earlier this year.

The Kunar river, originating in the Hindu Kush mountains near the Broghil Pass in northeastern Afghanistan, flows south through Kunar and Nangarhar provinces before entering Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it joins the Kabul River. The Kabul River ultimately merges with the Indus near Attock, making it a crucial source of water for Pakistan, particularly for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. Any reduction in the Kunar’s flow could have a cascading impact on Pakistan’s irrigation and agricultural needs.

London-based Afghan journalist Sami Yousafzai noted, “After India, it may now be Afghanistan’s turn to restrict Pakistan’s water supply…The Kabul and Kunar rivers have long been a source of water in Pakistan.”

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have emphasised Afghanistan’s water sovereignty, accelerating plans for dams and hydropower projects to meet domestic energy and irrigation needs while reducing dependence on neighbouring countries. Pakistan and Afghanistan currently do not have a formal water-sharing agreement, raising concerns in Islamabad that unilateral measures could exacerbate regional water stress amid ongoing energy and food security challenges.

India-Afghanistan hydropower cooperation continues

The dam construction announcement follows a recent visit by Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi to India, where he met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Both sides reaffirmed cooperation on hydropower and dam projects to support Afghanistan’s energy requirements and agricultural development.

Key projects include the India-Afghanistan Friendship Dam (Salma Dam) in Herat, completed in 2016 with $300 million in Indian funding. The dam produces 42 MW of electricity and irrigates 75,000 hectares, reducing Afghanistan’s reliance on imported energy. Additionally, the Shahtoot Dam on the Maidan River, formalised under a 2021 MoU with $250 million in Indian support, will store 147 million cubic meters of water, provide clean drinking water to over two million Kabul residents, and irrigate 4,000 hectares of farmland.

Afghanistan’s current moves indicate a focus on harnessing river systems to meet national energy and agricultural goals while asserting strategic leverage in regional water politics.