Amnesty International expressed concern [6] June 24 over the recurrent drone strikes conducted by Pakistan's military, which have caused unlawful loss of civilian lives. The rights group stated that the strikes in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have resulted in the deaths of 17 people this year, urging authorities to investigate these incidents and hold those responsible accountable.
Isabelle Lassée, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for South Asia, stated that the residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are suffering due to the escalating number of drone strikes in the region, which disregard civilian safety, hitting homes and even, in one case, a volleyball game. She emphasized that the use of drones in attacks that lead to unlawful civilian casualties violates international law, and called on Pakistani authorities to conduct independent and effective investigations into these attacks and prosecute anyone found responsible.
Furthermore, Lassée asserted that if investigations reveal that Pakistani authorities were directly responsible for the deadly strikes or that they failed to protect their citizens from threats, the government must provide victims and their families with effective remedies, including compensation.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan's northwestern province, has seen drone strikes this year, with the latest [8] occurring on June 20. These strikes have repeatedly killed civilians, including children. Amnesty International reported that while Pakistani authorities acknowledged the civilian casualties, they have attributed [9] them to attacks by the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) [10], also known as the Pakistan Taliban.
The TTP is an armed group formed in 2007 from various militant factions opposing the Pakistani military's operations against al-Qaeda militants in the northwest border region then known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). This group has since been involved in an armed conflict with the Pakistani military and carried out numerous terrorist attacks [11]. The United Nations Security Council Committee listed [12] the TTP on its Sanctions List in 2011 and linked it with al-Qaeda.
Although Pakistani military forces successfully pushed back the TTP following a series of offensives [13] in 2014, the armed group regained strength after the Taliban captured [14] Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, in 2021. According to the UN, Pakistan's initial military offensives led to the displacement [15]of over 400,000 citizens who fled combat zones in search of refuge in different areas within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
From JURIST [16], June 24. Used with permission.
See our last reports on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [17], the TTP [18] and the drone terror [19].
Note: The FATA [20] was merged [21] with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2018.
