Kabul, March 18 Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Wednesday held a virtual meeting with diplomats of Afghan embassies and consulates abroad, giving them necessary instructions and guidance regarding Kabul's clear position, policy and future actions following Pakistan's deadly bombing of a drug treatment hospital in which hundreds of people have lost their lives.
According to the Afghan Foreign Ministry, in this meeting, the minister shared information about the aggression against the national sovereignty of Afghanistan by the Pakistani military regime and recent events.
"He strongly condemned the brutal attack and called it a clear violation of humanitarian principles. Muttaqi encouraged the officials of all delegations to convey the position of the Islamic Emirate regarding the latest situation in the country to the international community," read a statement issued by Kabul.
"The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country gave necessary instructions and guidance to his delegation regarding the clear position, policy and future actions of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The meeting ended with prayers for the souls of the martyrs who died due to the bombing by the Pakistani regime," it added.
On Tuesday, Muttaqi termed the Pakistani airstrike on Kabul a serious violation of humanitarian and Islamic principles. He said that more than 408 people were killed and over 260 others were injured in Pakistani strike, majority of them patients at a drug rehabilitation centre. He accused Pakistan of deliberately targetting civilian facilities.
Speaking to diplomats and representatives from various organisations in Kabul, Muttaqi said that the Pakistani airstrike targetted one of the most vulnerable groups in society — people who were receiving treatment for drug addiction.
He said that repeated attacks since February, including strikes on civilian areas in various parts of Afghanistan, have diminished trust in diplomatic solutions. He warned that Afghan forces will continue “proportionate and legitimate” defensive responses if attacks continue, emphasising that Afghanistan does not want war but will protect its sovereignty and territory, Ariana News reported.
Muttaqi urged the international community to condemn Pakistan's strike, warning that continued escalation by Islamabad risks destabilising the wider region and impacting major economic and development initiatives.
Meanwhile, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, on Wednesday, called for an immediate, independent and transparent probe into Pakistan's airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul. He demanded that compensation should be paid to victims and their families.
"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 posted on X.
He made the statement in response to a UN Human Rights post on X, where it called for a probe and accountability for the blast at a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul.
"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," the UN Human Rights stated.
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