Engage With All Afghan Parties For Inclusive Governance, Says UN

According to Taliban Energy and Water Minister Abdul Latif Mansoor, the leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, instructed the ministry not to wait for foreign companies and instead to sign contracts with domestic firms to launch the project. Mansoor quoted Akhundzada as saying that “Afghans have the right to manage their own waters.”

The Kunar River, one of Afghanistan’s five main rivers, originates in Chitral, Pakistan, flows for around 482 kilometres through Afghanistan’s Kunar province, and then joins the Kabul River before returning to Pakistan. Most of the Kabul River’s flow eventually reaches Pakistan, where provinces such as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa rely heavily on Afghan waters.

Afghanistan is rich in water resources, but decades of war and instability have prevented the country from developing effective water management systems.

Rising Sensitivity In Pakistan

The renewed push for dam construction on the Kunar River comes amid escalating border tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan. Water sharing has long been a sensitive issue between the two neighbours, which have no formal water treaty and divide water based on customary practices.

Recently, Pakistani media reported that Islamabad is considering diverting the flow of the Chitral River before it enters Afghanistan, redirecting it toward the Swat River. The Nation newspaper quoted a Pakistani government source saying Islamabad aims to alter the river’s course before it merges with the Kunar and Kabul rivers inside Afghanistan.

Last year, after reports surfaced of the Taliban’s plans to build dams in eastern Afghanistan, former Pakistani provincial official Jan Achakzai warned that any unilateral construction by the Taliban on the Kunar (also known as the Chitral River) would be viewed as a hostile act against Pakistan. He said such action could have serious consequences, including heightened tensions and the potential for conflict.

A Baloch activist also argued that the Taliban’s dam project aligns with India’s strategy to limit water flows to Pakistan.

Despite these objections, the Taliban have consistently reiterated their commitment to dam construction on the Kunar River. Mansoor previously said that some neighbouring countries are “unhappy that Afghanistan is finally gaining control over its waters.”

In an interview with Shamshad TV, Mansoor said building a dam on the Kunar River was one of the Taliban government’s top priorities. Quoting Akhundzada, he said: “If we do not build a dam on the Kunar now, we never will.”

Mansoor noted that the Kunar River offers unique potential for hydropower generation, unmatched elsewhere in Afghanistan.

Regional Water Tensions

The minister also referred to disputes with other neighbouring states, saying that Central Asian countries have benefited from Afghan water for decades and built their own dams. Citing the Qosh Tepa Canal project, Mansoor said, “Even constructing several canals like Qosh Tepa would not compensate for the water lost in the past.”

He added that during his visit to Turkmenistan, officials there urged the Taliban to adhere to Soviet-era water-sharing arrangements. Mansoor responded that the Taliban do not recognise agreements signed during the period of occupation, asserting that “except for Iran, Afghanistan has no water treaties with its neighbours.”

He stressed that the Taliban respect the Helmand River treaty with Iran, but said dam construction elsewhere “faces no restrictions.”

Chinese Interest and Financial Constraints

Despite the Taliban leader’s directive, Mansoor complained about a lack of funding for dam projects. He said the ministry has repeatedly appealed to domestic and foreign investors to finance water initiatives, including a plan to transfer Panjshir water to Kabul, but none have yet followed through.

In August 2024, the ministry announced that a Chinese Energy Company had expressed interest in investing in three hydropower dams Shal, Sagi, and Sartaq on the Kunar River. Mansoor claimed that with these dams, “Afghanistan will be able to export electricity to neighbouring countries.”

However, it remains unclear how willing or technically capable domestic investors are to take on such an ambitious infrastructure project.

According to a statement from the Taliban governor’s office, Wafa travelled to Dushanbe at the invitation of Tajik authorities. During his meetings, he discussed regional security and stressed that instability in Afghanistan could adversely affect neighbouring countries.

The statement said Wafa met with Saimumin Sattorovich Yatimov, head of Tajikistan’s State Committee for National Security, and the commander of the country’s border forces. The Taliban spokesperson for Balkh said both sides underscored the importance of strengthening intelligence and border security cooperation.

Tajikistan, unlike other Central Asian states, does not maintain diplomatic relations with the Taliban and continues to host several figures opposed to their rule. Dushanbe has also refused to transfer control of Afghanistan’s embassy to Taliban representatives, maintaining ties with officials from the former Afghan republic.

Yousuf Wafa, a close confidant of the Taliban’s supreme leader, has been a key figure in the group’s political outreach to regional neighbours. His visit marks one of the highest-level Taliban delegations to Tajikistan since the group’s return to power in 2021.

Tajikistan has repeatedly voiced concern about the presence of extremist and terrorist groups inside Afghanistan under Taliban control. Last year, Yatimov travelled to Kabul to meet with Taliban intelligence officials. Diplomatic sources told Afghanistan International that his August 2024 visit focused on ways to enhance security coordination between the two sides amid ongoing regional tensions.

Sources in the United States told the outlet that Khalilzad’s recent visit to Kabul was a personal trip and not linked to the US government. During his stay, he met with the Taliban’s defence minister and several senior officials.

The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Wednesday that Khalilzad, who served as the US special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation, had paid an “informal visit” to Kabul and held talks with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister. The ministry said the discussions focused on “ways to expand bilateral relations” between the Taliban and the United States.

A well-placed source in Kabul said Khalilzad urged the Taliban to include several symbolic Tajik figures in their administration, mentioning four or five names during the talks, though the names were not disclosed. The source quoted Khalilzad as saying that diversifying the Taliban’s leadership would be an important step toward gaining legitimacy both inside Afghanistan and abroad.

According to the source, Khalilzad told Taliban leaders that to overcome their ongoing disputes with Pakistan, they must achieve a degree of international recognition, which would require including non-Pashtun figures in government. He reportedly assured Taliban officials that if they broadened their political base, he would help lobby for international acceptance of their government.

Earlier, Afghan journalist Sami Yousafzai reported that Khalilzad had been working to promote international recognition for the Taliban administration. Citing Taliban sources, Yousafzai wrote that Khalilzad had encouraged former US president Donald Trump to adopt a more positive approach toward recognising the Taliban government. However, the report added that Trump’s stance shifted following meetings with Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Khalilzad arrived in Kabul on 22 October but has not publicly commented on the purpose of his visit. Although he currently holds no official position in the US administration, he has in recent months participated in unofficial delegations involved in negotiations for the release of American hostages held in Afghanistan.

The report raises serious concerns about the safety of Afghans whose information may now be in the hands of Taliban intelligence, which has been accused of targeting critics and their relatives inside Afghanistan.

According to Tagesschau, the German government was aware of potential risks but, despite warnings from Afghan diplomats and human rights advocates, did not prevent the handover of the consulate to Taliban representatives.

In early October, Taliban-appointed diplomat Said Mustafa and several others reportedly entered the consulate building. At the time, Hamid Nangialay Kabiri, the former consul general, and 22 staff members resigned in protest against Germany’s decision to recognise Taliban representatives in a functional capacity.

Kabiri said the consulate had maintained its independence since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover and had refused to share Afghan citizens’ records with what he called the “illegitimate Taliban group.” He added that all documents and assets had been handed over to Germany’s Foreign Ministry before his departure.

The Tagesschau report said Mustafa’s role extends beyond standard consular duties and includes efforts to align the Bonn consulate’s operations with Taliban policies.

Experts cited by the outlet said the consulate had served as a key data hub for Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions across Europe, Canada and Australia that refused to recognise the Taliban after the collapse of the former Afghan Republic. Its servers reportedly hold a vast digital archive containing passport information, birth and marriage certificates, and official correspondence concerning millions of Afghans abroad.

The report warned that if the Taliban now control these archives, the personal information of dissidents, civil activists and asylum seekers could be exposed to Taliban intelligence networks.

Documents obtained by Germany’s ARD network revealed that Afghan diplomats had warned Berlin in two confidential letters dated February and July 2025 that handing over the Bonn consulate could have “catastrophic consequences” for the safety of Afghan migrants in Europe. The letters highlighted that millions of confidential records would fall under Taliban control if the transfer proceeded.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry has not commented directly on the allegations, saying only that it remains in contact with Afghanistan’s representation and expects it to continue operating under the name and emblem of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the pre-Taliban government.

Tagesschau further reported that after taking control, the Taliban launched a new website for the Bonn consulate that mirrors the design of the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry portal in Kabul. The site no longer references the “Islamic Republic of Afghanistan,” signalling what the outlet described as “new political realities” emerging on German soil, despite Berlin’s official non-recognition of the Taliban government.

Sources told Tagesschau that Taliban-linked representatives, including Asif Abdullah from Afghanistan’s embassy in Berlin, entered the Bonn consulate during the German Unity Day holiday.

The report also said Germany recently allowed two Taliban-appointed diplomats to assume roles in Afghanistan’s missions in Bonn and Berlin in exchange for the Taliban’s cooperation in deporting Afghan asylum seekers from Germany.

During their meeting in Kabul, the two sides discussed bilateral relations and ongoing tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan. The ministry quoted Wardak as saying that while the Taliban remains committed to resolving disputes through dialogue, Pakistan’s actions over the past four years have forced Kabul to “respond in kind.”

The Taliban statement said Yue Xiaoyong told Wardak that Beijing seeks to play a constructive role in easing disputes between the Taliban and Pakistan. The Chinese envoy also praised Qatar and Türkiye’s mediation efforts, which helped the two neighbours reach a recent ceasefire agreement.

Wardak thanked China for its continued cooperation and support, citing “long-standing ties and shared interests” between the two countries. He reaffirmed that the Taliban administration seeks engagement with all nations on the basis of mutual respect, and reiterated that Afghan territory would not be used to threaten any other country.

According to the ministry, Yue Xiaoyong said China aims to build long-term relations with the Taliban administration grounded in respect and constructive engagement.

Over the past four years, China has deepened its ties with the Taliban, officially handing over the Afghan embassy in Beijing to the group’s representatives and maintaining regular diplomatic contact. At the same time, Beijing remains a strategic ally of Pakistan, a factor that has placed it in a delicate position amid escalating border tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.

Analysts say Beijing views the current rift between Pakistan and the Taliban as harmful to its broader regional interests, particularly its plans to expand trade and transit routes across South Asia under the Belt and Road Initiative.