After India, Afghanistan Closes Taps On Pakistan; To Plug Water Pipeline With Dam On Kunar

New Delhi: In a fresh setback for Pakistan, Afghanistan has announced plans to restrict the flow of river water into its territory, echoing India’s recent assertive stance on water-sharing.

The move marks a significant escalation in regional resource tensions, with both neighbours now signalling intent to tighten control over transboundary rivers feeding into Pakistan.

Muhajer Farahi, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister of Information, posted on X on Thursday that the country’s Supreme Leader has ordered the immediate construction of dams on the Kunar River. The directive, he said, will be carried out by domestic Afghan companies, deliberately excluding foreign involvement to assert “national control” over water resources.

Afghanistan’s Minister of Water and Energy, Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor, reinforced the message, asserting Afghans’ “right to manage their waters”, a pointed reference to long-standing disputes with Pakistan over rivers that cross the porous and often volatile border. The Kunar River, originating in Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush mountains, merges with Pakistan’s Chitral River and later joins the Indus basin, which sustains millions in Pakistan’s northwestern plains.

The move comes amid heightened border tensions and accusations of cross-border militancy, straining the fragile relationship between Kabul and Islamabad. Pakistan has repeatedly expressed concern over Kabul’s dam projects on rivers such as the Kunar and Kabul, fearing reduced downstream flow could aggravate water scarcity.

Analysts see Afghanistan’s announcement as a strategic parallel to India’s recent tightening of water provisions under the Indus Waters Treaty, further isolating Pakistan.

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