The Afghan Taliban government has announced a major project that threatens to severely strain relations with neighboring Pakistan. Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor, the Taliban’s Acting Minister of Water and Energy, confirmed plans to build a dam on the Kunar River, stating the order came directly from the Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada.
According to the minister, the project aims to establish Afghanistan’s control over its own water resources and will be completed using local companies. However, the announcement has triggered alarm in Pakistan, where it is being viewed as a “reflection” of India’s recent policy of suspending the Indus Waters Treaty.
The Kunar River is a vital shared waterway. It originates in Pakistan’s Chitral district, flows through Afghanistan, and then re-enters Pakistan to merge with the Indus River. It is a critical source of drinking water, agricultural irrigation, and power generation for millions of Pakistanis.
Experts are issuing stark warnings that the dam’s construction could lead to severe water shortages across vast agricultural areas in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces. This move threatens not only food security but also the livelihoods of millions who depend on the river’s flow.
