UN Experts Demand Probe Into Pakistan's Kabul Airstrike on Rehab Center

On March 16, Pakistan launched airstrikes on Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul that killed hundreds of civilians and injured several others.

Bennett added that the call also seeks a permanent ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan, adherence to international law, safeguarding civilians and ensuring accountability.

"Our statement not only calls on Afghanistan & Pakistan to agree to a permanent ceasefire, it also calls for respect for international law, protection of civilians and accountability, starting with prompt, independent and transparent investigations of Omid Rehab Facility in Kabul," Bennett posted on X.

UN experts on Tuesday urged Pakistan and Afghanistan to declare a fresh ceasefire and work towards a peace agreement following the eruption of renewed fighting in late February and the collapse of an October 2025 ceasefire.

"We urge Pakistan and the de facto Afghan authorities to commit to a permanent ceasefire, resolve the root causes of conflict, and ensure accountability for violations of international law," the experts said.

Since February 26, they said, there have been at least 289 civilian casualties in Afghanistan, including 76 killed and 213 injured, with more than 115,000 people displaced.

"Civilian infrastructure has been damaged, including medical facilities, homes, markets, and sites for displaced people. Schools and borders have been closed and trade suspended," the UN experts added.

According to the experts, the March 16 Pakistani airstrike that hit a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul likely killed and injured hundreds.

"We condemn this attack, express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured," they stated.

The experts called on the parties to respect international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian objects.

They called for prompt, independent and transparent investigations of all alleged violations, accountability for perpetrators, and remedies for victims, in line with international standards.

The latest hostilities, the experts said, followed Pakistani airstrikes on Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) camps on February 21-22, retaliatory attacks by Afghanistan authorities along the border on February 26, and a subsequent offensive by Pakistan on February 27 targeting Kabul, Kandahar, and dozens of other locations.

"Pakistan's attack on Afghanistan violates the prohibition on the use of force under Article 2 of the United Nations Charter and customary international law. There is no right of self-defence unless the Taliban first attacked Pakistan or sent the TTP to attack it," the UN experts stressed.

"Pakistan has not published credible evidence that TTP attacks within its territory were directed or controlled by the de facto Afghan authorities," they added.

- IANS