Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned the Taliban against proceeding unilaterally with plans to build a dam on the Kunar River, saying Kabul “cannot disregard Pakistan’s water rights.”
Speaking to Geo News on Thursday, Asif said Islamabad has pressure tools at its disposal and cautioned that the Taliban won’t even be able to do 100 per cent of what they’re thinking of.
The remarks follow Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada’s directive to Afghanistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water to begin construction of a dam on the Kunar River as soon as possible. Taliban Energy Minister Abdul Latif Mansoor said the group would not wait for foreign investors and has been instructed to sign contracts with domestic companies instead.
Pakistan has expressed concern that any large-scale dam on the river, which flows from Afghanistan into Pakistan, could disrupt water supplies to its border regions. The two countries have no formal water-sharing treaty.
At the same time, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said New Delhi is ready to cooperate with the Taliban on the project. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, referring to Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s recent visit to India, said New Delhi is prepared to support all Taliban initiatives related to water resource management, including hydropower projects.
He stressed that between the two countries, there has been a long history of cooperation on water matters and added that the Salma Dam, for example, is a perfect example of this cooperation, which today is called the India–Afghanistan Friendship Dam.
During his interview, Asif also discussed the recent Istanbul talks between Pakistan and the Taliban, confirming that different drafts are being exchanged for an eventual agreement.
He said any final accord must be in written form and endorsed by mediators Qatar and Turkiye.
Asif added that the Taliban leadership remains partly dependent on Qatar, which played a key role in the group’s previous negotiations with other countries. He reiterated that Islamabad will not accept any agreement unless it is formalised in writing and verified by mediators.
