By Admin 
On the lines of India, Afghanistan has started preparations to stop the water flowing towards Pakistan. Taliban’s supreme leader Maulvi Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered that a dam be built on the Kunar River as soon as possible, so that the water going to Pakistan can be controlled. Afghanistan’s acting Water Minister Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor wrote on social media platform X, ‘Afghans have the right to manage their own water.’ He told that this dam will be built by Afghan companies and not by any foreign company.
The decision came amidst tension on the border
This decision has come at a time when continuous clashes are taking place on the border (Durand Line) of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Pakistan alleges that Taliban is helping the terrorist organization named Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
steps inspired by india
This step of Taliban is similar to India’s policy. India had stopped the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir on April 22.
India had said that now it will not give Indus river water to Pakistan. Kunar river is about 500 kilometers long. It originates in the Hindu Kush mountains in the Chitral area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, then flows through Kunar and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan and joins the Kabul River. After this, this river again enters Pakistan and joins the Indus river near Attock city.
Big trouble for Pakistan
If Afghanistan builds a dam on this river, there will be a severe shortage of water for Pakistan’s fields and people. Already, due to restriction of water by India, a drought like situation is being created in Pakistan. The biggest thing is that there is no water treaty on Kunar or Kabul river, which means Pakistan cannot legally stop Afghanistan.
Stress may increase
Experts say that if Afghanistan starts building dams, clashes between the two countries may increase further. The Taliban government has been trying to increase water control and agriculture since coming to power in 2021. Kosh Tepa Canal (285 km long) being built in the north of Afghanistan is also in discussion. This will make 5.5 lakh hectares of dry land cultivable. But experts say that due to this, the water of Amu Darya river can decrease by about 21%, which will further increase the water shortage in countries like Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Taliban’s growing closeness to India
Last week, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaki had come to India. He praised the dam built by India in Herat province. The two countries jointly said that they will work together on water projects to improve Afghanistan’s energy and agriculture.