Kunar River should be governed by international law, Islamabad tells Kabul

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Friday responded to the Afghan government’s announcement of plans to construct a dam on the Kunar River, stating that “transboundary rivers are governed by international law.”

The Kunar River originates in Afghanistan and flows into the Kabul River. According to policy research studies in Islamabad, the Kabul River is significant for Pakistan, supplying irrigation water, drinking water, and hydroelectric power.

Earlier, Afghanistan’s Energy and Water Minister Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor was quoted in a post shared on the X account of the Afghan Information Deputy Minister Muhajer Farahi.

In the post, Mansoor said, “Afghans have the right to manage their own water,” and added that the Afghan government had decided to begin the “construction of dams on the Kunar River as soon as possible and to sign contracts with domestic companies and not wait for foreign companies.”

Responding to questions at a press briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi said Pakistan was reviewing the situation.

“We are ascertaining the details,” he stated, adding that, “generally, transboundary rivers are governed by international law.”

He further noted that Pakistan is “both an upper and lower riparian,” and said the matter would continue to be monitored.