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Taliban Orders Rapid Kunar River Dams That Could Curb Pakistan’s Downstream Flows

The order prioritizes domestic contractors, with no water‑sharing framework in place with Pakistan, heightening concerns over flows into the Indus system.

Afghanistan has announced plans to restrict the flow of river water into Pakistan, echoing India’s recent assertive stance on water-sharing. | Image: Republic
Kunar river
An aerial view shows the Kunar river running past a hillside in Kunar province on September 14 (AFP)
Image

Overview

  • Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada directed the Water and Energy Ministry to begin building dams on the Kunar River immediately.
  • The ministry was instructed to sign contracts with Afghan firms and not wait for foreign companies, according to Deputy Information Minister Muhajer Farahi.
  • The Kunar feeds the Kabul and then the Indus, so reduced flows could affect irrigation and power in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces.
  • The announcement follows recent cross‑border fighting and a mediated ceasefire, with Pakistani officials warning unilateral moves could trigger a regional water crisis.
  • Unlike the India–Pakistan Indus Waters Treaty, Afghanistan and Pakistan have no water‑sharing pact, and the decision comes soon after Kabul’s outreach to New Delhi on hydropower cooperation.