Kabul, March 18 – Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi held a virtual meeting with diplomats from Afghan embassies and consulates abroad on Wednesday, providing them with 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 Pakistani military regime's aggression against Afghanistan's national sovereignty and recent events.
"He strongly condemned the brutal attack and called it a clear violation of humanitarian principles," read a statement issued by Kabul.
"The Minister of Foreign Affairs instructed his delegation regarding the clear position, policy, and future actions of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The meeting concluded with prayers for the souls of the martyrs who died due to the bombing by the Pakistani regime," it added.
On Tuesday, Muttaqi described the Pakistani airstrike on Kabul as a serious violation of humanitarian and Islamic principles. He stated that more than 408 people were killed and over 260 others were injured in the Pakistani strike, mostly patients at a drug rehabilitation center. He accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilian facilities.
Speaking to diplomats and representatives from various organizations in Kabul, Muttaqi said that the Pakistani airstrike targeted 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, emphasizing 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 destabilizing 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 investigation into Pakistan's airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center in Kabul. He demanded that compensation be paid to victims and their families.
"I echo that the air strike by Pakistan, impacting a drug rehabilitation center 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 center in Kabul.
"We call for investigations and accountability for last night’s tragic blast at a drug rehabilitation center 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.
