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Khalilzad, international community condemns AIHRC attack
US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad condemned yesterday’s attack on Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission employees, calling it “an anti-human act”.
“The targeted killing of Fatima Khalil and Jawid Folad today, two Afghans dedicated to the cause of fundamental human rights, is an anti-human act. We condemn this terrorist attack in the strongest possible terms,” Khalilzad tweeted.
“Those opposed to peace start fires they hope spread quickly and smolder indefinitely. We support the overwhelming demand of Afghans to overcome these odds and continue the march to a permanent and dignified peace and an Afghanistan in which everyone’s rights are respected,” Khalilzad said in a separate tweet.
— U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad (@US4AfghanPeace) June 28, 2020
Fatima Khalil, a Donor Liaison Officer and Jawid Folad, a driver of the AIHRC were killed after their vehicle was targeted by an IED at Butkhak Square PD^12 of Kabul city on Saturday morning.
“I did not know them personally. I understand that Fatima was a courageous young person deeply dedicated to human rights for all Afghans, rights which are universal & Jawid was a long-time AIHRC employee doing his valued part,” US Envoy sai.
No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack. The Taliban militant group denied its involvement in the incident.
The attack was widely condemned by local and international communities.
The Presidential Ashraf Ghani condemned the “terrorist attack” and directed the authorities to investigate the attack thoroughly.
Abdullah Abdullah, Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation expressed his condolences, “I ask that the authorities take these repetitive attacks seriously and put more effort protecting civilians and combating terrorism.”
The Afghanistan IHRC urged the government to bring the culprits to justice.
“We condemn such a heinous attack on our employees in the strongest possible terms. As of now, no group has claimed the responsibility of the attack and the perpetrators have not been identified yet. Those responsible should be identified after an investigation and brought to justice for committing this terrible crime,” AIHRC said in a statement.
US Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson said that the attack is “unacceptable”.
— Chargé d’Affaires Ross Wilson (@USAmbKabul) June 27, 2020
“We call on all those who love Afghanistan to break this cycle of violence and death, to end the impunity and indignity of such attacks on the Afghan people, and to work for peace.ow those who defend human rights and liberty. These attacks must end,” Wilson said.
UNAMA said that the killing of human rights defenders has no justification, saying an immediate investigation needed with perpetrators held to account.
— UNAMA News (@UNAMAnews) June 27, 2020
Meanwhile, the UK, Italy, Pakistan Germany Sweden, and a number of other countries condemned the “horrible attack”, urging “senseless violence against human rights defenders has to STOP.”
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Afghan official slams Shehbaz Sharif’s ‘shameful’ claims on Islamic unity
Khubaib Ghufran, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Information and Culture, sharply criticized Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif over his recent claims about Islamic unity in relation to the war in Iran, calling them “shameful.”
On his X account, Ghaffran wrote: “You praised Trump as a hero of the Gaza peace plan, yet today you claim Islamic unity regarding Iran in a war that the same criminal (Trump) and his allies initiated?”
He added that while Afghanistan is governed under an Islamic system, Shehbaz Sharif has shown no compassion even toward the most vulnerable groups—from children to women and drug addicts—and that this cruelty persisted even during the holy month of Ramadan.
Ghaffran described Sharif’s stance as a “grave shame” and a stark example of “historical hypocrisy.”
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Airstrike on Kabul drug rehabilitation centre sparks legal concerns
Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.
An airstrike on a drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul has drawn sharp criticism from Amnesty International, raising serious questions about compliance with international humanitarian law.
The strike, carried out on 16 March, targeted a site at Camp Phoenix, a former military base that has functioned largely as a rehabilitation centre since 2016. Pakistani officials have claimed the attack was aimed at an ammunition depot allegedly located within the compound.
Responding to those claims, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Research, Isabelle Lassee, said the scale of casualties suggests the presence of a significant civilian population at the site.
“While the total number of casualties has yet to be independently verified, it is clear that the attack caused extensive civilian harm, with reports indicating hundreds killed or injured,” she said.
Lassee emphasized that the facility was widely known to house civilians undergoing treatment, and warned that any military action should have taken this into account. “Pakistan’s military should have taken all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians and civilian infrastructure,” she added.
She further noted that even if a military target had been present within the compound, international law requires that any strike be proportionate, ensuring that civilian harm is not excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.
“The scale of destruction raises serious concerns about whether an adequate proportionality assessment was conducted and whether sufficient steps were taken to verify the target and minimize civilian casualties,” Lassee said.
Amnesty International has called on Pakistani authorities to disclose the intelligence behind the strike and to launch an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation into the incident. The organization stressed that findings should be made public to ensure accountability.
The group also urged all parties involved in the conflict to adhere strictly to international humanitarian law and to protect civilian infrastructure, including medical and rehabilitation facilities.
The airstrike formed part of Pakistan’s “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq,” which included strikes in both Kabul and Nangarhar Province. The targeted rehabilitation centre, known as Omid, reportedly had the capacity to accommodate around 2,000 individuals.
Casualty figures remain contested. Islamic Emirate officials claim more than 400 civilians were killed and over 200 injured, though these numbers have not been independently verified. The United Nations has so far confirmed 143 deaths.
The strike comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, at least 76 civilian casualties had already been recorded since the conflict intensified in February.
Pakistani officials, meanwhile, reported civilian casualties on their side of the border, including four deaths in Bajaur district on 15 March and the killing of a child in North Waziristan earlier in the month, allegedly due to cross-border fire from Afghanistan.
The latest developments underscore growing concerns about civilian safety as hostilities between the two countries continue to intensify.
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