Opinion | Pakistan’s Indiscriminate Bombardment of Afghanistan and the Civilian Cost

‘‘Pakistan’s indiscriminate bombing of Afghan territory does not bring security. Instead, it spreads fear, anger, and instability. If peace is ever to return to this troubled region, the lives of civilians must come before military calculations. Only then can the cycle of violence finally begin to end’’

Pakistan often shows a dangerous pattern whenever tensions rise or it enters a conflict. One part of this pattern is the targeting of civilian populations and property. We do not need to go far into the past to find examples. During Operation Sindoor in May, India’s attack was intelligence and precision based and aimed at terrorist groups and their infrastructure. In contrast, Pakistan carried out attacks that affected the civilian population inside Indian territory along the border. Houses, cars, shops, and schools were damaged during the conflict. Residents of border areas have often spoken about civilian locations being hit during the fighting. I personally heard similar accounts from people living near the border. Recently, I visited a border village on a short trip and saw a house that was badly damaged on one side. When I asked a local resident about it, he told me that the house had been hit by Pakistani forces during Operation Sindoor. He further added that it was not the only place that suffered damage and that several other civilian buildings in the area were also affected by Pakistani shelling. Now Pakistan has turned noses of its fighter jets and gun barrels towards Afghanistan.

In recent weeks, the world has once again witnessed rising tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Reports of Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghan territory have raised serious concerns about civilian safety and regional stability. As someone observing these events, it becomes difficult to ignore a troubling pattern. Pakistan often claims that its strikes are aimed at targeting TTP militia and its facilities, TTP (Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan), a rebel group Pakistan accuses for terror attacks in Pakistan, how and why this group is formed is a different story but aftermath videos and visuals reveal a different and horrifying story that stands in total contrast to Pakistan’s claims that’s is because the results frequently show something else: the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of homes and villages. Such actions raise serious questions about the responsibility of a state that claims to fight terrorism but repeatedly harms civilians in the process. In recent strikes by Pakistan strikes I could barely come across a news that XYZ of TTP has been killed but what I often saw was civilians crying, wounded being rushed to hospital, common people preparing burial of those innocent civilians, houses razed to ground, children and women wailing and every painful visual one can ever imagine. Pakistan has been arguing that its military strikes in Afghanistan target militant groups such as the Pakistani Taliban. But the statistics of civilian cost on the ground tells a different story. In February 2026, Pakistani airstrikes struck areas in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar and Paktika provinces. According to international reports, these attacks killed at least 42 civilians, including women and children, and injured several others. Houses, religious buildings, and community spaces were damaged in the strikes. The UN says Pakistan’s strikes and firing have forced 20,000 families to leave their homes. All these numbers reveal Pakistan’s dark terror strategy in the form of calculated strikes that is install fear and spread terror among civilians. In last year Pakistani strikes named ‘‘operation Khyber Storm’’ killed 37 Afghan civilians and injured 425 civilians. In recent months Pakistan has been carrying out airstrike inside Pakistan resulting in many civilians’ losses and property and displacing common Afghanis. These are combined estimates from UN and reported incidents; real numbers may vary because some areas are inaccessible. Reports suggest that over 170 civilians lost their lives where close to 600 were injured by Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan since last year . Many of the victims were women and children. These are not just numbers. They represent families that lost loved ones, children who lost parents, and communities that lost their homes.

What makes this situation even more troubling is the way Pakistan often presents its actions. Islamabad claims that its strikes are precise and intelligence-based operations against militant hideouts. However, when bombs hit houses and villages, such claims lose credibility. Modern air power is supposed to reduce civilian casualties, not increase them. When innocent lives are repeatedly lost, the explanation that militants were the target begins to sound weak. Pakistan also faces a deeper problem. For decades, it has struggled with militancy within its own borders. Groups like the Pakistani Taliban have carried out attacks against the Pakistani state itself. Instead of addressing the root causes of these problems internally, Pakistan often tries to push the blame onto its neighbours. Bombing Afghan territory may appear to be a quick military solution, but it does not solve the underlying issue of extremism.

The human stories behind these statistics are heartbreaking. Families who once lived simple lives suddenly find their homes destroyed by bombs. International law is clear about one principle: civilians must be protected during armed conflict. States have a responsibility to ensure that military actions do not harm innocent people. When that principle is repeatedly violated, the international community must speak up.

The United Nations has also expressed concern about the growing civilian toll. During a recent escalation, the UN mission in Afghanistan recorded more than forty civilian deaths and over one hundred injuries within a short period of time. These figures show that ordinary people are paying the highest price for a conflict that they did not create. But UN must act and prevent civilian casualties and hold Pakistan accountable. Moreover, a country that is heaven for terrorist cannot bomb a country in the pretext of fighting terrorism. For the people of Afghanistan, peace has been a distant dream for decades. They deserve a chance to rebuild their country and live without fear of bombs falling from the sky. Continued military strikes only prolong their suffering.

ALIZAROON@112GMAIL.COM