In a letter to UN chief, former President Hamid Karzai has urged the United Nations to condemn recent Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan, warning that the attacks violate international law and risk further destabilizing the region.
In the letter, Karzai called on the organization to denounce the strikes as “contrary to international norms and the principles and purposes of the United Nations,” according to his office.
He said the attacks had caused civilian casualties and “significant damage to national infrastructure,” and urged the United Nations to take action to prevent further violations of Afghanistan’s sovereignty.
Karzai also criticized Pakistan’s long-standing regional policies, saying it has used militancy and extremism as tools of influence for more than four decades.
He called on the United Nations to use its “good offices” to help prevent further attacks, reduce tensions and spare the region from what he described as a cycle of violence.
Rising tensions and civilian impact
The appeal comes as cross-border clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan, which began on Feb. 26, have escalated into weeks of fighting involving airstrikes and artillery fire.
Pakistani forces have struck multiple areas across Afghanistan, including in Kabul. Pakistan has said it is targeting militant infrastructure, but some attacks have raised concerns about civilian casualties.
One strike on March 16 hit a rehabilitation center in eastern Kabul, according to Taliban officials, who said it caused heavy casualties. Sources said at least 200 people were killed in the attack.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported that hundreds of people, including children and at least one humanitarian worker, have been killed in the fighting and airstrikes.
The violence has also displaced about 94,000 people across five provinces, OCHA said in a report on Monday.
At the same time, diplomatic efforts to ease tensions are ongoing. Delegations from the Taliban and Pakistan have been holding talks in China since last week in an effort to reduce hostilities.
So far, there has been no clear indication of a breakthrough or agreement on a ceasefire.
Karzai’s letter adds to growing international concern over the escalating conflict, as humanitarian conditions worsen and calls increase for a coordinated response to prevent further violence.
