United Nations officials say that in the ongoing conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the responsibility for investigating civilian casualties lies with the affected country, particularly in ensuring impartial investigations into civilian harm caused by attacks from the Pakistani military regime.
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, in response to a question from Shamshad Television, said that the primary purpose of such investigations is to hold perpetrators accountable and to create mechanisms for compensation for victims’ families.
Richard Bennett also stated that the United Nations and other international organizations only monitor such investigations to ensure their credibility.
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights said:
“The primary responsibility lies with the affected countries to conduct impartial investigations, especially regarding Pakistan’s attacks. In this way, victims and their family members may become eligible for compensation. We—the United Nations and other international organizations—will monitor these investigations. Currently, there are two international bodies authorized to conduct such investigations. One of them is the International Criminal Court, which now has a mechanism for investigations related to Afghanistan.”
Bennett made these remarks at a time when, following an attack on a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the European Union mission, and several ambassadors and diplomats visited the hospital to assess the extent of the damage.
A UNAMA delegation visited the emergency hospital and confirmed that the rehabilitation center had been targeted, as well as confirming that those killed in the incident were civilians.
At the same time, a delegation from the European Union office in Kabul also visited the rehabilitation hospital and confirmed that both the facility and the patients inside had been targeted.
Investigations are generally conducted to determine facts and verify claims, and it has now been established that the hospital and the patients inside were targeted.
Analysts say that the targeting of civilians and public facilities by Pakistan has been proven and that steps should be taken to hold those responsible accountable.
Some analysts believe that the United Nations can at least help prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
Human rights activist Ali Reza Karimi said:
“In my opinion, appointing an independent fact-finding mission, delivering humanitarian assistance, and supporting victims should be prioritized. Additionally, institutions such as the United Nations, human rights organizations, and aid agencies should play a more active role in this regard. They must work to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.”
These discussions about the UN’s role in investigating civilian casualties come as attacks by the Pakistani military regime targeting civilians and infrastructure in Afghanistan continue, resulting in daily casualties among civilians, including women and children.
Amnesty International has also called on Pakistan to clarify on what basis it carried out the attack on the drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul and whether the information used was verified.
