Section Seven
Writer: Mobariz Heravi
Silent Connections between Ismail Khan and Iran: “Dams that were never built”:
After the collapse of the communist regime and the victory of the Afghan people’s jihad, many people hoped that the jihadist leaders, whose true nature later became clear to everyone, would strive for the reconstruction and self-sufficiency of their country; however, what actually happened was nothing but betrayal and dependence on foreigners.
Without a doubt, one of the figures that the people living in the western provinces of Afghanistan expected positive activities from was Ismail Khan; a figure who at that time called himself the Amir of the Southwest region.
Despite expectations, Ismail Khan not only failed to serve the people of the western part of the country, but also, with all his might, took steps to preserve and secure Iran’s interests and effectively became the agent of Tehran’s interests in Herat and the southwest.
The stagnation of the construction of dams, including the Salma Dam, can be considered one of the greatest services of Ismail Khan in protecting Iran’s interests, which had benefited from the free flow of the Harirud River for years during his governorship and ministry; the dam, the idea of which was first proposed in the 1960s, was delayed for years due to repeated Iranian interventions.
The Salma Dam, one of the largest infrastructure projects in Afghanistan in recent decades, is not just an ordinary dam but a symbol of independence, self-sufficiency, and the national will of the Afghan people to manage their own water resources. This dam, built in the Chisht district of Herat province on the Harirod River, has a storage capacity of millions of cubic meters of water, which can irrigate thousands of acres of agricultural land and generate electricity.
Ismail Khan not only did not make any progress in the construction of this dam during his rule over Herat before the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan, but also during the Republic era, despite having held the position of governor of Herat for three years and then the Ministry of Energy and Water for nine years, and with millions of dollars pouring into Afghanistan from Western countries, he did not take any effective steps towards the construction of this dam.
The stagnation of the construction of the Bakhshabad Dam in Farah is also considered another instance of Ismail Khan’s betrayal; while this dam could have transformed the region’s agricultural economy, it was repeatedly targeted by destructive attacks. During Ismail Khan’s tenure, not only was there no support for its construction and completion, but under direct orders and indications from Iran, this project remained stagnant to prevent any reduction in water flow towards Iran.
When Ismail Khan was in office as the Minister of Energy and Water, instead of focusing on infrastructure projects for electricity, he squandered public funds on purchasing used and inefficient generators from Iran. These generators not only failed to solve any problems but also became a new issue themselves. Due to their wear and high fuel consumption, they not only did not provide stable electricity production but also imposed significant costs on the government for fuel supply and maintenance.
These generators, some of which had previously been used in cities like Mashhad and Nishapur and were over ten years old, were practically obsolete. They had repeatedly malfunctioned and instead of lighting up the city, they imposed continuous blackouts on the people. As a result, instead of strengthening sustainable energy infrastructure, national resources were wasted in a way that brought no benefit today and no hope for the future.
Ismail Khan, during his rule, instead of being a representative of the people of Herat and a supporter of the country’s development, became a tool of Iran, and this caused the people of Herat, Farah, Nimroz, and Badghis to still live in darkness without electricity, longing for water, and suffering from poverty.
While it was possible to turn western Afghanistan into a hub of energy, agriculture, and economy using dams—”something the caretaker government is now striving to achieve”—one person, dressed as a jihadist, served the enemy. Instead of building a dam, he paved the way for the enemy, and instead of being the voice of the people, he quietly served Iran’s interests.
To be continued…
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