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UN rights session hears Afghan conflict still one of the world’s deadliest

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Mahamane Cissé-Gouro, Officer-in-Charge of the Field Operations and Technical Cooperation Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Monday that while Afghanistan should have moved closer towards peace, civilians continued to suffer and lose their lives due to increased violence.

Delivering the high commissioner’s report to the UN Human Rights Commission’s 46th session on Monday, Cissé-Gouro noted the conflict in Afghanistan remained among the deadliest in the world.

He stated the best way to protect civilians was to stop fighting.

According to the report the deliberate killing of human rights defenders and journalists had been particularly shocking in the last few months and since the start of the Afghanistan peace negotiations.

Civil society and media had an important role to play, the Afghan people needed their voices and opinions, and the government needed to provide them with space to operate, while anti-government forces must stop targeting them, the report stated.

Speakers expressed concern that since the start of the Afghan peace negotiations, civilians continued to bear the brunt of the armed conflict, with almost half of the casualties being women and children.

Cissé-Gouro also stated Afghanistan was at a critical point which was particularly crucial for Afghan women. He said their meaningful participation in the peace process must be ensured.

In addition, it was noted that the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) played a crucial role despite their staff being directly targeted.

In turn, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) Chairperson Shaharzad Akbar’s said in a video message to the session that for the peace process to be seen as credible by all Afghans, there needs to be a ceasefire, a real possibility of public engagement, and protection of the civic space.

In her message Akbar said according to AIHRC figures, targeted killings were the second leading cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan in 2020. This she said was a “threefold increase compared to 2019.”

These attacks targeted human rights defenders, journalists, media workers and activists, prosecutors and judges, including female journalists, judges and activists.

“Prominent activists are either being killed or forced to leave the country. Most attacks remain unclaimed and investigations are slow.

“While those who can, are leaving the country, many across Afghanistan felt silenced by fear and are constrained in their activism. This unimaginable attack on Afghanistan’s civic space is ongoing and the world is not doing enough to stop it.

“Meanwhile the Afghan negotiations in Doha are paused,” she said.

“Afghans are desperate for peace but what will peace look like in absence of one of Afghanistan’s most important gains, its vibrant civil society and human rights community? If this deadly trend continues, it will be even harder to protect human rights gains of Afghanistan during and after the peace talks.

“We need the United Nations and the global human rights community to stand with Afghans and urge both parties to stop the violence, and continue engaging in talks.

“For the peace process to be seen as credible by all Afghans, we need a ceasefire, a real possibility of public engagement and protection of the civic space,” she said.

Cissé-Gouro stated in his report that the Afghanistan peace negotiations were an historic opportunity for parties to the conflict to consider the irreversible loss the war had had on the people. New thinking could save thousands of families from suffering.

The report meanwhile stated that Afghanistan, speaking as a country concerned, noted that the conflict in Afghanistan continued to take a heavy toll on the nation and undermined social and economic progress.

The COVID-19 pandemic had also further aggravated these challenges.

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Over 2.13 million Afghan refugees repatriated from Pakistan

Officials say over 150,000 individuals were returned from Punjab alone, where enforcement efforts are being led by the Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell.

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More than 2.13 million Afghan nationals have been repatriated from Pakistan to Afghanistan as part of an ongoing campaign targeting undocumented foreign residents, according to Pakistani authorities cited by local media.

Officials say over 150,000 individuals were returned from Punjab alone, where enforcement efforts are being led by the Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell. The campaign includes inspections of thousands of residential areas and hundreds of markets, resulting in numerous detentions and legal cases against Afghan nationals found without valid documentation.

The repatriation process comes amid heightened tensions along key border crossings between the two countries. Hundreds of migrants have recently been sent back via the Chaman crossing, particularly during disruptions at other transit points.

The Torkham crossing—a major gateway for cross-border movement—has faced repeated closures. Although it briefly reopened, local officials in Nangarhar Province report that it was shut again after only a few hours. Authorities in Pakistan have not provided a clear explanation for the latest closure.

According to Sediqullah Quraishi, head of Nangarhar’s Information Department, the crossing was opened temporarily on Thursday before being closed again without official clarification.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghan migrants remain in temporary holding centers across Punjab, where they are undergoing registration and processing ahead of their return to Afghanistan. The large-scale repatriation effort continues to raise humanitarian and logistical concerns, particularly as border access remains unpredictable.

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Human Rights Watch calls Pakistani airstrike on Kabul rehab center ‘unlawful’

Patricia Gossman, senior associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said available evidence suggests the strike hit a well-known civilian medical facility.

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Human Rights Watch has condemned a recent Pakistani airstrike on a rehabilitation facility in Kabul, calling it “unlawful” and warning it could amount to a war crime.

The strike, which reportedly took place on March 16, targeted the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Center, located within the former Camp Phoenix complex in eastern Kabul. According to international agencies, at least 143 people were killed and more than 250 others injured, most of them patients undergoing treatment.

Patricia Gossman, senior associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said available evidence suggests the strike hit a well-known civilian medical facility.

“The available evidence indicates that the Pakistani airstrike against a well-known Kabul medical facility killing dozens of patients was unlawful,” she said, adding that authorities must determine why the site was targeted and who should be held accountable.

An employee of the center told the organization that three buildings were struck, including a dining hall, a residential building housing hundreds of patients, and a guard post. At the time of the attack, more than 1,000 patients were reportedly at the facility, many gathered to break their fast during Ramadan.

Human Rights Watch said satellite imagery and visual evidence show extensive destruction across the compound, with multiple structures either destroyed or severely damaged. The organization added that it found no indication the facility was being used for military purposes.

Under international humanitarian law, medical facilities are afforded special protection. The group stressed that attacks failing to distinguish between civilian and military targets, or those causing disproportionate civilian harm, may constitute serious violations of the laws of war.

Human Rights Watch has called on Pakistan to carry out a prompt, impartial investigation and ensure accountability if violations are confirmed.

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Torkham crossing closes again hours after brief reopening

Officials say the reason for the sudden closure has not been clearly communicated by authorities in Pakistan.

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Torkham closed

The key border crossing at Torkham crossing has once again been shut down, just hours after it was temporarily reopened, according to local officials in Nangarhar province.

Sediqullah Quraishi, head of information at the provincial Department of Information and Culture, said that on Thursday the Pakistani side allowed the crossing to open briefly to Afghan migrants. However, the crossing was closed again shortly afterward, leaving many travelers stranded.

Officials say the reason for the sudden closure has not been clearly communicated by authorities in Pakistan.

The Torkham crossing serves as one of the most important transit points between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Its repeated closures have caused significant disruption, particularly for migrants, traders, and families who rely on cross-border movement.

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