Following India’s lead, Afghanistan moves to curb Kunar River flow amid rising tensions with Pakistan
The Kunar River is one of the largest rivers to flow through the country. It is an important source of irrigation and is responsible for the generation of hydroelectric power, particularly for the remote Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region that has been the epicentre of cross-border violence.
New Delhi: Did Afghanistan just follow the Indian propaganda to hamstring Pakistan? The latest move of the Taliban depicts something like that. Afghanistan, this week, ordered the restriction of Islamabad's access to the Kunar River "as soon as possible."
The minister, Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor, in a post on X, declared that it would obstruct the river's water by building dams around it and that the order came directly from the office of the Supreme Leader, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada. The post further added that Kabul has the right to manage its own water and that construction would be led by domestic firms rather than foreign ones.
How strained are the Pakistan-Afghanistan relations
The move highlights the deadly war along the Durand Line — i.e., the disputed 2,600-km border with Pakistan. Earlier, Islamabad accused Kabul of aiding Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. According to Pakistan, the organisation is no less than a terror outfit.
After the devastating Pahalgam attack, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty — a 65-year-old deal to share the waters of the Indus and its tributaries. The Indus Waters Treaty is a 1960 agreement between India and Pakistan that divides the waters of the Indus River system. It allocates the three western rivers (Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab) primarily to Pakistan, and the three eastern rivers (Ravi, Beas, and Sutlej) primarily to India.
What role does the Kunar River play
The Kunar River originates from the Hindu Kush mountains in the Chitral district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. It then flows south into Afghanistan, running through the Kunar and Nangarhar provinces before emptying into the Kabul River. Also known as Kabul, the river is one of the largest rivers to flow through the country. It is an important source of irrigation and is responsible for the generation of hydroelectric power, particularly for the remote Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region that has been the epicentre of cross-border violence.
If the Afghans restrict the water flow, it would result in a great blow to Islamabad. The restriction would be disastrous, obstructing the latter's access to water for farms and people already left desiccated by India restricting its supply.