Pashdan Dam Inaugurated by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund

Today, August 14, 2025, the Deputy PM for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, inaugurated the Pashdan Dam in Karukh District of Herat Province.

Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund stated that Afghans are celebrating the fourth anniversary of independence at a time when the Islamic Emirate has achieved significant accomplishments over the past four years in the implementation of Islamic Sharia and in the political and economic spheres. According to him, among these achievements is the Pashdan Dam, which is being handed over for utilization today.

The Deputy PM described the Pashdan Dam project as important and vital for Herat Province, noting that it will help mitigate the effects of drought in the province and address the challenges faced by farmers. He added:

“Last year, at the start of the remaining works of this project, I pledged to you that the Islamic Emirate would complete the outstanding tasks of the Pashdan Dam with full capacity. Fortunately, the remaining works have been completed today.”

He remarked that in the past, due to occupations, the country’s economy did not grow and was dependent on conditional aid from other countries. However, the Islamic Emirate is determined to genuinely strengthen the national economy and free it from dependency.

The Deputy PM added that the Islamic Emirate supports national and regional projects to improve the country’s economic situation. The ongoing progress of the TAPI project in Herat Province demonstrates that the Islamic Emirate seeks regional economic coordination, mutual cooperation, and stability. According to him, the Islamic Emirate pursues an economy-centered policy for the economic stability of Afghanistan and the region.

The Deputy PM further stated:

“The Islamic Emirate seeks to make prudent use of all its natural resources and has no intention of infringing upon the rights of others. We aim to manage our water resources effectively while ensuring the established rights of others. Our objective in water management, alongside other economic priorities, is to strengthen the national economy. We consider water management as one of the key measures to reduce poverty, unemployment, and migration in the country.”

The Deputy PM called on all domestic and foreign investors to invest not only in the water and agriculture sectors but also in other sectors and to take advantage of the available opportunities.

In conclusion, Deputy PM Mullah Baradar Akhund congratulated all citizens on the completion of this major project and expressed gratitude to the officials of the Islamic Emirate, the engineers, technical teams, laborers, and all those who contributed to the completion of the Pashdan Dam.

It is noteworthy that the Pashdan Dam has the capacity to store 54 million cubic meters of water, irrigate 13,000 hectares of land, and generate two megawatts of electricity, creating employment opportunities for thousands of citizens.