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By The South Asia Times

KABUL/ISLAMABAD - Local journalists and sources familiar with the Omid Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre in Kabul have disputed key findings of a recent Amnesty International report that accused Pakistan of carrying out a potentially unlawful airstrike on the facility, alleging it was primarily used by Afghan Taliban security forces rather than solely as a civilian drug rehabilitation center.

Amnesty International's investigation, published on July 21, said at least 269 civilians were killed in Pakistan's March 16 airstrike on the Omid Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre. The rights group said it found no evidence that the site was being used for military purposes at the time of the attack and called for the strike to be investigated as a possible war crime.

However, several local sources interviewed by The South Asia Times, who requested anonymity for security reasons, disputed that characterization.

A Kabul-based journalist said international organizations operating in Afghanistan face significant challenges independently verifying incidents on the ground.

"Many international organizations, including UNAMA, rely heavily on Afghan staff because foreign personnel often cannot freely access or investigate such sites," the journalist said. "Local staff work under a difficult environment, and many people are reluctant to contradict the Taliban's official narrative because of security concerns."

The journalist added that Taliban authorities generally restrict independent access to sensitive incidents, requiring most officials and local residents to speak only on condition of anonymity.

A healthcare worker who said he was employed at the Omid facility told The South Asia Times that only one section of the sprawling complex functioned as a drug rehabilitation center.

"I was at home when the airstrike occurred, but I later went to the facility because I still work there," he said. "One block of the complex had been converted into a drug rehabilitation center, while the remaining sections were being used by Taliban security personnel for training and accommodation."

The healthcare worker claimed that several Taliban personnel were among those killed during the strike but said he could not independently determine how many patients had died.

"I don't know how many drug-addicted patients were killed, but dozens of Taliban soldiers were also killed in other parts of the compound," he said.

Another Kabul-based journalist who visited the site after the attack said Taliban authorities initially restricted media access.

"On the night of the attack, Taliban officials allowed only their own media teams and a limited number of local journalists into the area," he said. "International media organizations were not permitted to enter until the following morning, after the site had been cleared."

According to Amnesty International, the Omid Centre was established in 2016 on the site of a former NATO base and expanded after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 into a 2,000-bed drug rehabilitation facility. 

The human rights organization said its findings were based on satellite imagery, analysis of more than 60 photos and videos, and interviews with employees, former staff members, witnesses and victims' relatives.

Questions have also been raised over casualty figures. Shortly after the strike, Taliban authorities said more than 400 civilians had been killed, while UNAMA later reported at least 269 civilian deaths. Amnesty relied on UNAMA's verified figure in its investigation.

The local sources interviewed by The South Asia Times questioned the methodology used by international organizations to verify casualties and the extent to which they were able to conduct independent investigations inside Afghanistan. 

Pakistan has maintained that the March 16 operation targeted militant infrastructure and has rejected allegations that it deliberately targeted civilians. 

- Pakistan rejects Amnesty allegations

Responding to questions about Amnesty International's report during the Foreign Ministry's weekly press briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi rejected the allegations, saying Pakistan "completely rejects" the report and describing it as being based on insufficient evidence.

"It is unfortunate that such serious allegations have been presented without any credible evidence," Andrabi said.

He accused Afghanistan's Taliban administration of continuing to provide what he described as a permissive environment for militant groups, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and their affiliates.

According to Andrabi, the ability of these groups to operate from Afghan territory, recruit fighters and carry out cross-border attacks poses "a serious threat to regional peace and security."

He said thousands of Pakistani civilians and security personnel had been killed or injured in attacks that Islamabad says were planned and launched from Afghanistan.

"No responsible state can remain passive when its civilians and security forces are repeatedly targeted," Andrabi said.

He maintained that Pakistan's cross-border military operations were carried out in exercise of its right to self-defence under international law and were directed "only and exclusively against terrorists and their logistical support bases in Afghanistan."

The spokesperson said Pakistan's actions were "proportionate to the level of threat" and conducted in accordance with the principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality.

Andrabi urged Amnesty International and the broader international community to focus greater attention on what he described as the Taliban's continued support for militant groups, arguing that the human rights organization's report failed to address what Pakistan considers the root cause of the conflict.

He also called on the international community to hold the Taliban accountable for preventing Afghan territory from being used to launch attacks against other countries, citing obligations under relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the 2020 Doha Agreement.

"Pakistan reserves the right to take all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the safety and security of its people," he added.