India, Oct. 24 -- Afghanistan's Taliban government has decided to build a series of dams across the Kunar River, a major tributary of the Indus, in a move seen as an attempt to restrict Pakistan's access to water.

The decision came under direct orders from Supreme Leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, according to the country's acting Water Minister Mullah Abdul Latif Mansoor, who announced the plan on X.

In his post, Mansoor said Afghans "have the right to manage their own water," adding that construction would be carried out by domestic companies rather than foreign contractors.

The minister's remarks underline Kabul's urgency as tensions rise along the Durand Line, the disputed 2,600-kilometre border with Pakistan, amid Islamabad's ...