UN rights expert calls for investigation after reported strike on Kabul hospital

KABUL, Afghanistan — A United Nations human rights expert is calling for an independent investigation and compensation for victims following a reported Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul that Afghan officials say killed hundreds.

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said Wednesday that the strike must be examined through a “prompt, independent and transparent” process, with accountability for those responsible.

“I echo that the air strike by Pakistan impacting a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul reportedly leaving scores dead and injured, must be promptly, independently and transparently investigated, those responsible held to account, and reparations made to victims and families,” Bennett wrote in a post on X.

The statement followed reports that a strike late Monday targeted the 2,000-bed Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul’s Pul-e-Charkhi area. Afghan officials said the attack resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries, many of them patients undergoing treatment.

The UN human rights office also called for accountability, stating on X: “We call for investigations and accountability for last night’s tragic blast at a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul, that left scores of patients dead. All parties must take effective measures to ensure the protection of civilians.”

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi condemned the strike, describing it as a serious violation of humanitarian and Islamic principles. Speaking to diplomats and representatives of international organizations in Kabul, he said more than 408 people were killed and over 260 others injured, according to Afghan media reports.

Muttaqi accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure, saying the strike hit one of the country’s most vulnerable populations—individuals receiving treatment for drug addiction.

He also warned that repeated attacks since February, including strikes on civilian areas, have eroded confidence in diplomatic solutions. While emphasizing that Afghanistan does not seek conflict, he said Afghan forces would continue “proportionate and legitimate” defensive responses if such incidents persist.

Muttaqi urged the international community to condemn the strike, cautioning that further escalation could destabilize the broader region and disrupt key economic and development initiatives. (Source: IANS)