TO:

• Secretary‑General of the United Nations.
• Members of the UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council.
• Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
• Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
• United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
• Permanent Missions of Afghanistan to the UN (New York and Geneva).
• Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
• Governments of the United States, European Union Member States and Others.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Amnesty International.

FROM:

• Citizens of Afghanistan, the Afghan Diaspora, Civil Society Activists and Human Rights Supporters Worldwide.

DATE:

• March 18, 2026.

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1. BACKGROUND

   We, the undersigned, submit this petition in response to a grave escalation of aggression and attacks by the Pakistani military against Afghan territory, which have resulted in mass civilian casualties and destruction of civilian infrastructure.

   Over recent weeks, the Pakistani military has carried out repeated air and artillery strikes across multiple Afghan provinces including in capital city of Kabul, targeting civilian homes, markets, fuel and food depots, and health facilities, killing and injuring large numbers of civilians and displacing many more. Reports by independent Afghan and international media document a pattern of strikes in and around densely populated urban areas.

   On the night of 16 March 2026, the Pakistani military conducted an airstrike on a civilian drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, a facility reported to host thousands of patients and staff, causing the death of more than 400 civilians and injuring hundreds of others. Survivors and rescue workers have described catastrophic destruction, with bodies pulled from the rubble and the hospital almost entirely destroyed and burnt to the ground.

   Pakistan claims it targets “terrorist infrastructure,” yet has failed to credibly refute converging reports indicating that clearly civilian objects, including a functioning medical and rehabilitation facility, have been hit and that civilians, men, women, and children have been killed on a massive scale.

   These incidents demand urgent international attention, recognition of national mourning in Afghanistan, immediate cease fire by the Pakistani military and concrete steps toward justice, accountability, and reparations for the victims.
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2. INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK
   
   • Protection of Civilians and Civilian Objects
     Under the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and customary international humanitarian law, parties must distinguish at all times between civilians and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives, and may only direct operations against military objectives. Intentionally directing attacks against civilians or civilian objects constitutes a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and a war crime.
   • Protection of Medical Facilities
     Hospitals and medical units, including rehabilitation centers, enjoy special protection. Their protection may only be lost if they are used, outside their humanitarian function, to commit acts harmful to the enemy and only after due warning has been given and ignored. Bombing a functioning hospital, absent clear and compelling lawful justification, is a serious violation of international humanitarian law and may amount to a war crime.

   • Rome Statute of the ICC

     • Article 8(2)(b)(i) defines as a war crime “intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking direct part in hostilities.”
     • Article 8(2)(b)(ii) defines as a war crime “intentionally directing attacks against civilian objects.”
     • Repeated, large‑scale attacks on civilian areas and medical facilities can also, when forming part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population, qualify as crimes against humanity under Article 7 (including murder and other inhumane acts).
   • Obligations of Pakistan

     Pakistan is a party to the Geneva Conventions and is bound by customary international humanitarian law and applicable human rights treaties. It must prevent and punish war crimes committed by its forces, investigate credible allegations, and provide reparation for internationally wrongful acts attributable to the state.

     Given the reported facts, massive civilian death tolls, the destruction of a medical and rehabilitation hospital, and repeated strikes in civilian areas, there are strong grounds to believe that serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity, have been committed.
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3. OUR DEMANDS
   
   • Declaration of 3 Day National Mourning in Afghanistan
     We:
     
     • Declare that the recent attacks, especially the airstrike on the Kabul drug rehabilitation hospital, constitute a national tragedy for Afghanistan.
     • Call on all Afghans to immediately proclaim at least three days of official national mourning, with the national Afghan flags at half‑mast, suspension of non‑essential celebrations, and public commemorations honoring all civilian victims.
     • Appeal to religious leaders, community elders, civil society, and media to promote unity, dignity, and support for survivors and bereaved families during this period.
   • Immediate Cessation of Pakistani Attacks
     We Urge:
     
     • The UN Secretary‑General, UN Security Council, and all relevant states to demand that Pakistan immediately stop all airstrikes, artillery fire, and other military actions against Afghan cities, villages, and civilian infrastructure.
     • Pakistan to strictly comply with its obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution.
   • Independent International Investigation
     We Request:
     
     • The establishment of an independent, impartial international investigative mechanism, under UN auspices or another competent international body, to investigate all recent Pakistani military attacks on Afghan territory, including the Kabul rehabilitation hospital strike.
     • A mandate to document facts, identify victims, determine the civilian death toll and damage, analyze command responsibility and state responsibility, and preserve evidence for future criminal proceedings.
   • Accountability and Criminal Justice
     We Call For:
     
     • The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to consider, within the scope of its jurisdiction, information concerning alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity arising from Pakistani military operations and airstrikes in Afghanistan.
     • States with universal jurisdiction to investigate and, where appropriate and consistent with international law, prosecute individuals suspected of ordering, planning, or carrying out unlawful aggression and attacks on Afghan civilians and civilian objects.
     • Pakistan to conduct genuine, transparent, and credible investigations into its military operations and to cooperate fully with any international investigative bodies.
   • Reparations for Victims and Survivors
     We Demand:
     
     • Full reparations from Pakistan for the victims and their families, including compensation for loss of life and injury, restitution where possible, rehabilitation and psychosocial support, and appropriate official acknowledgment and apology.
     • Urgent support by international donors and humanitarian agencies to provide emergency medical care, shelter, and livelihood assistance to survivors, displaced persons, and communities devastated by these attacks.
   • Protection of Medical Facilities and Humanitarian Access
     We Appeal For:
     
     • Strong, explicit condemnation by the UN, WHO, ICRC, OIC, and states of attacks on hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and other medical facilities.
     • Guarantees from all parties for safe, unimpeded humanitarian access, evacuation of the wounded, and protection of medical and humanitarian personnel and infrastructure.
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4. APPEAL TO AFGHANS AND GLOBAL CIVIL SOCIETY
   We call on all Afghans, inside the country and in the diaspora, to set aside all political, ethnic, and regional divisions and to unite in:
   
   • Mourning and honoring the victims of these attacks.
   • Demanding justice, accountability, and reparations through peaceful, lawful means.
   • Supporting survivors and affected communities through solidarity, advocacy, and material assistance where possible.

We invite human rights defenders, lawyers, health professionals, academics, journalists, faith leaders, and concerned individuals around the world to:

• • Please endorse this petition and share it widely.
  • Please use their platforms to raise awareness of the suffering of Afghan civilians and to press governments and international institutions to act.

By signing this petition, we affirm that no state or armed actor may bomb hospitals, homes, civilians and cities with impunity, and that justice for Afghan civilians is essential for any prospect of peace and regional stability.

Thank You!