KABUL (Pajhwok): Afghan expatriates in the United Kingdom have staged a protest in London, describing Pakistan’s military strikes on Afghanistan as violations of international law and national sovereignty and calling for an independent investigation.
Protesters cited heavy civilian casualties and urged the international community to take immediate action to halt the attacks and establish an independent fact-finding mission.
According to reports, Pakistani military regime air and rocket strikes on various parts of Afghanistan have so far martyred around 500 civilians and wounded hundreds more.
The deadliest incident was an airstrike on a drug rehabilitation centre in the capital Kabul, where about 400 patients were martyred and around 250 others injured.
Organisers said the demonstration was held to condemn what they described as indiscriminate bombings and military aggression by Pakistan.
In a resolution issued at the protest, participants said the attacks violated international norms and had severe consequences for the lives, security and mental well-being of Afghan civilians, adding that they constituted war crimes under international law.
The resolution also said the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people due to the attacks, as well as the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, represented a clear use of coercive measures against a sovereign state and posed a serious threat to regional security.
“We strongly condemn all airstrikes, bombings and military aggression by Pakistan on Afghan soil,” the organisers said, adding the attacks were a clear violation of Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, as well as international law and the principle of mutual respect between states.
The resolution stressed that the strikes violated international law, particularly Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits the use of force, as well as international humanitarian law and human rights principles.
It added the attacks reflected a pattern of sustained and systematic state aggression and proxy conflict, amounting to interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and that any justification under the pretext of security concerns was unacceptable under international law.
The resolution warned that the attacks not only threatened Afghanistan but also posed a serious risk to regional stability, accusing Pakistan of resorting to force instead of diplomatic means to resolve disputes.
Participants called on the international community, particularly the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, the United Kingdom, the European Union and international human rights organisations, to denounce the attacks, establish an independent fact-finding mission and take action against violations of international law.
“We call on Pakistan to immediately halt its air and military attacks, respect Afghanistan’s sovereignty and international law and resolve disputes through peaceful and diplomatic means,” the statement said, urging accountability for those responsible and justice for victims’ families.
The organisers also urged the people of Pakistan, religious scholars and institutions to discourage their military and political leaders from continuing what they described as aggression against Afghanistan and to adopt peaceful policies.
They added that Afghan political, civil and social institutions should unite in defence of national interests, sovereignty and territorial integrity and adopt a common position.
kk
