{"id":1609,"date":"2026-07-23T13:23:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T13:23:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/?p=1609"},"modified":"2026-07-23T13:23:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T13:23:01","slug":"pakistan-rejects-amnesty-call-for-war-crimes-probe-into-kabul-airstrike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/?p=1609","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan rejects Amnesty call for war crimes probe into Kabul airstrike"},"content":{"rendered":"

Residents and rescue workers inspect the site of a late-Monday airstrike at a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 17, 2026. (AP Photo\/Siddiqullah Alizai, File)<\/small><\/p>\n

2026-07-23T13:17:37Z<\/p>\n

ISLAMABAD (AP) \u2014 Pakistan on Thursday rejected Amnesty International\u2019s call for an investigation<\/a><\/span> into a March airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center in the Afghan capital that the rights group said could amount to a war crime, dismissing the allegations as unsupported and describing the operation as a lawful act of self-defense.<\/p>\n

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told a news briefing in Islamabad that Pakistan \u201ccompletely rejects the allegations\u201d made by Amnesty International, calling it \u201cunfortunate\u201d that such serious claims had been made \u201cwithout any credible evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n

His remarks came a day after Amnesty International said it had found no evidence to support Pakistan\u2019s claim that Kabul\u2019s Omid drug rehabilitation center<\/a><\/span> was being used for military purposes or to store weapons and ammunition when it was struck on March 16.<\/p>\n

Afghanistan has said the strike killed about 400 civilians. Pakistani officials dispute the death toll and maintain the strike targeted a legitimate military site.<\/p>\n

Amnesty said it analyzed more than 60 photos and videos, including footage released by Pakistan\u2019s military, reviewed more than 30 satellite images and interviewed witnesses and other sources. It said it asked Pakistan\u2019s Foreign Ministry on July 9 whether an investigation had been launched and requested evidence supporting Pakistan\u2019s justification for the strike but had received no response before publishing its report.<\/p>\n

The strike came amid months of escalating cross-border hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan\u2019s Taliban government of harboring militants, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, who it says carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan. The TTP is a separate group but a close ally of Afghanistan\u2019s Taliban rulers. Afghanistan denies the allegation.<\/p>\n

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