UN rights envoy urges ICC to probe alleged Pakistani war crimes in Afghanistan

UN special rapporteur Richard Bennett says Pakistani airstrikes that kill Afghan civilians may constitute war crimes, calling for independent investigations and accountability.

In an interview with the BBC, Bennett said the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) had documented civilian casualties in the cross-Durand Line violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with women and children among those killed.

Bennett said this is a very serious issue, noting that the consequences of the conflict disproportionately affect society’s most marginalized and disadvantaged people.

He also cited a March airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, saying that, according to figures attributed to UNAMA, 269 people were killed. The victims were men undergoing treatment and rehabilitation for drug addiction, he added.

Bennett called for full and independent investigations into the incidents, saying victims and their families deserved justice and accountability.

He said he had raised the issue with the UN Human Rights Council, which has yet to establish a dedicated mechanism to investigate the attacks. However, he pointed to an independent investigative mechanism established a year earlier that could potentially examine the incidents.

Bennett also called on the ICC to consider investigating the alleged attacks, noting that the court already has an ongoing investigation into the situation in Afghanistan. While the decision rests with the court, he said he hoped it would examine the incidents closely.

His remarks come amid mounting concerns over cross-Durand Line violence and its toll on Afghan civilians.

In early October, UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN mission had documented more than 1,100 civilian casualties in Afghanistan resulting from cross-Durand Line violence in 2026.

The United Nations has called for de-escalation and respect for international law, stressing that civilians must be protected from the effects of armed conflict.