The United Nations has reported that cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan resulted in the deaths of 499 civilians and injuries to 1,216 individuals in Afghanistan from October to the end of June. This information was disclosed on Tuesday in a human rights report by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). The ongoing violence between the two countries continues despite various international efforts aimed at achieving peace.

In the report, UNAMA detailed significant concerns regarding human rights in Afghanistan, which included a violent crackdown on protests related to restrictions imposed on women’s clothing in Herat. Additionally, it addressed laws perceived to effectively legalise child marriage within the country.

The intensity of fighting has escalated recently, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan of providing refuge to militants responsible for attacks within its borders—a claim that the Afghan government denies. Tensions notably surged in February when Afghan forces reportedly conducted a raid into Pakistan following Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory, leading Islamabad to declare a state of “open war.”

Deadly Incidents and Allegations

The report highlighted a particularly devastating airstrike by Pakistan on a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul in March, which resulted in a substantial number of civilian deaths. Last week, Amnesty International called for an investigation into this bombing, suggesting it might constitute a war crime. Further, on June 28, two airstrikes struck a residential area in Paktia province, causing the deaths of 22 individuals, including five children, and injuring at least 185 others. Most casualties occurred during the second strike, as locals attempted to rescue victims from the initial attack.

Fiona Frazer, the director of human rights at UNAMA, emphasised that international humanitarian law provides essential protections to medical personnel and humanitarian workers, marking attacks against them as strictly prohibited while performing their duties.

In response to the report, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry claimed that the Taliban government in Afghanistan maintains a permissive atmosphere for a variety of militant organisations. Although the response did not address civilian casualties in Afghanistan, the ministry asserted that military actions taken by Pakistan targeted defined terrorist hideouts and infrastructure related to groups responsible for assaults within Pakistan.

Continuing Human Rights Concerns in Afghanistan

The UNAMA report also observed that the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan persist with broad restrictions affecting women, which include prohibiting education beyond primary school, enforcing a strict dress code, and imposing work restrictions in nearly all professions. Women are also mandated to be accompanied by a male relative when leaving their homes.

In June, in Herat, at least 30 women were reportedly arrested for alleged violations of the imposed dress code. Furthermore, during a rare protest against these detentions, authorities opened fire, resulting in at least one fatality and several injuries.

The report stated that women are required to wear a full hijab, covering all but their eyes, though the enforcement of this rule can vary significantly. Officials from the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice have even visited local clinics and shops, instructing them to deny entry to women not accompanied by a male relative. Additionally, the officials are introducing new regulations that could implicitly sanction child marriage, as they permit the arrangement of marriage contracts for minors.

The UN report underscores the urgent human rights issues faced in Afghanistan amidst the ongoing violent clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, raising serious concerns over civilian safety and women’s rights in the country.

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