Pakistan faces siege: After India, another country to block water by ordering a dam on the Kunar river

Kabul/Islamabad (The Uttam Hindu): Following the recent bloody conflict with Pakistan, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan has taken a major step and is preparing to limit water supplies to Pakistan. According to the Afghan Information Ministry, Taliban Supreme Leader Maulvi Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered the construction of a dam on the Kunar River as soon as possible.

This move comes just after India suspended the Indus Water Treaty, which has already increased Pakistan's troubles.

The Afghan Ministry of Water and Energy has confirmed that Supreme Leader Akhundzada has directed the ministry to begin construction of the Kunar River dam soon. Notably, he has ordered that contracts be signed with domestic Afghan companies rather than waiting for foreign companies.

Deputy Information Minister Muhajer Farahi shared this information on 'X' (formerly Twitter) on Thursday (October 23). London-based Afghan journalist Sami Yousafzai commented, "After India, it may be Afghanistan's turn to limit Pakistan's water supply."

This decision of Afghanistan comes after the recent border war between the two countries, in which hundreds of people are reported to have been killed.

Moreover, the move comes after India took a tough stand and suspended the Indus Water Treaty, under which it shared the waters of three western rivers with Pakistan, after the killing of 26 civilians in Pahalgam on April 22 by Pakistan-backed terrorists.

Why is the Kunar River important?

The 480-kilometer-long Kunar River originates in the Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border. It is the largest and most water-rich transboundary river between Afghanistan and Pakistan. It flows through the Kunar and Nangarhar provinces of Afghanistan and enters Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it is known as the Chitral River. The river joins the Kabul River near the city of Jalalabad, which later empties into the Indus River near Attock.

It is considered a lifeline for irrigation and other water needs in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The construction of this dam could lead to a serious water crisis in this province.