PAKISTAN’S relationship with Afghanistan has long been shaped by border tensions, security concerns and mistrust.

Now, another serious issue is beginning to emerge: water. What was once seen as a technical matter of river management is increasingly becoming a strategic concern, one that could affect agriculture, food security and regional stability. The immediate concern comes from Afghanistan’s reported plan to build a dam on the Chollar River, an important tributary of the Kabul River. This river system is highly sensitive because it begins in Pakistan’s glacier regions, flows into Afghanistan and then returns to Pakistan. In other words, it is a shared water source. Any major upstream diversion by Afghanistan could reduce the flow of water reaching Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where many communities depend on the Kabul River for irrigation and livelihoods.

Pakistan may, in theory, have the option to redirect this river upstream so that it remains within its own territory. However, such a move would require major financial resources, technical capacity and long-term planning. At present, that is far easier said than done. This is why the issue matters so deeply. The Kabul River, fed by the........

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