In a promising sign of improving rapport between Kabul and Islamabad, an agreement was made between President Hamid Karzai and Prime Minister Narwaz Sharif to jointly pursue the construction and utilization of a hydroelectric dam on the Kunar River, which flows through Afghanistan into Pakistan.
News of the agreement spread on Monday, the very first day of President Karzai's highly anticipated trip to Pakistan. The visit marks Karzai's 20th trip to the eastward neighbor since his tenure as the Afghan head of state began, and comes at a time of heightened tension between the two nations over issues primarily surrounding security and the Taliban insurgency. Although the trip was expected to focus on resuscitating the stalled peace process with the Taliban, other bilateral issues such as business and trade were also to be discussed.
Many analysts responded to news of the Kunar Dam project agreement positively, saying it indicated that a constructive relationship between the two leaders was established and could pave the way for a more general warming between their countries. Nevertheless, such optimisms was not without reservation as it was argued that construction of the dam would be within Afghan territory and the proper government bodies, such as the National Assembly, should be consulted before any formal commitments are made.
"The hydroelectric dam could be a model of regional cooperation provided that Afghanistan's interests are served in the agreement," said Azarakhsh Hafezi, an economic expert. "But considering our [Afghanistan and Pakistan's] history, this agreement should be referred to the Parliament for further discussion and Parliament should approve it before it is implemented."
Afghanistan currently lacks the ability to harness the Kunar River for producing electric power, so the agreement, which would involve help from Pakistan in constructing and maintaining the dam, presents an advantageous opportunity in the minds of most experts. However, hesitation remains, as some are still concerned that an arrangement for the shared utilization of the dam's output, which would be the condition of any joint construction effort, could open up the opportunity for Afghanistan's interests to be neglected.
"Countries are supposed to agree on a particular arrangement, and similar types of agreements exist among other countries as well, but the claims of the two countries on the shares the dam should be cleared up in the next round of negotiations," said Najib Fahim, a Kabul University lecturer. Overall, though, Mr. Fahim was optimistic about the impact a good agreement on the dam could have. "If the water resources of the country are managed properly, it could lead to the signing of agreements with other nations," he said.
In addition to the Kunar dam project, and in a further encouraging sign of improving relations between the two South Asian neighbors, President Karzai and Prime Minister Sharif also agreed to establish a railway line between their two nations.
Yet with greater collaboration on joint infrastructural development and energy projects like that dam also comes a heightened level of interdependence. In the case of the Kunar dam, the leverage Kabul potential stands to gain in becoming the territorial host of what would surely become one of Pakistan's key sources of electric power could significantly affect relations between the two countries.