Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, has urged for immediate, impartial, and transparent probes into the Pakistani airstrikes on the Kabul rehabilitation center. The airstrikes, carried out on March 16, targeted the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, resulting in the deaths of numerous civilians and injuries to many others. Bennett emphasized the need for a lasting ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, compliance with international laws, protection of civilians, and ensuring accountability.
The UN experts have also appealed to Pakistan and Afghanistan to establish a new ceasefire and strive towards a peace agreement following recent escalations in conflict and the breakdown of a ceasefire in October 2025. Since February 26, Afghanistan has witnessed around 289 civilian casualties, with 76 fatalities and 213 injuries reported, leading to the displacement of over 115,000 individuals. The experts highlighted significant damage to civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, residences, markets, and areas for displaced persons, alongside closures of schools and borders, as well as trade disruptions.
Expressing condemnation over the March 16 airstrike on the drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul, the experts extended their condolences to the victims’ families and wished a speedy recovery to the injured. They stressed the importance of upholding international human rights law and humanitarian law, particularly in safeguarding civilians and civilian structures. The experts called for thorough, independent, and transparent investigations into all alleged violations, accountability for those responsible, and redress for victims in accordance with global norms.
The recent hostilities stemmed from Pakistani airstrikes on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camps on February 21-22, subsequent retaliatory actions by Afghan authorities along the border on February 26, and a counteroffensive by Pakistan on February 27 targeting various locations, including Kabul and Kandahar. The UN experts underscored that Pakistan’s assault on Afghanistan violates the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force and customary international law, emphasizing the absence of a self-defense right unless provoked by Taliban attacks or TTP incursions.
