Pakistan’s attack on drug rehab centre in Kabul draws global condemnation, but WHO and Norway avoid naming Pakistan in their ‘call for peace’

In a cruel bid to deflect attention from its failure to tackle local terrorists, Pakistan launched a massive airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, on the night of 16th March. The attack on the drug rehabilitation facility in Kabul reportedly killed over 400 people and left 250 injured. While the world leaders have mostly been indifferent to Pakistan’s offensives against Afghanistan, its strike on the drugs rehab centre has invited a rare global pushback. UNHCR demands independent investigation into Pakistani strikes on drug rehabilitation centre in Afghanistan The United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHCR) spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan said in a statement that the ‘tragic blast’ at the drug rehab centre in Kabul “must be investigated promptly, independently and transparently, and those responsible held to account in line with international standards… Under international humanitarian law, civilians and civilian objects are strictly protected. The laws of war clearly spell out that any attack must comply with the fundamental principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions. International humanitarian law provides for specific and increased protections for medical facilities.” Kheetan further highlighted that since the fresh escalation hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan this year, “289 Afghan civilians, including 104 children and 59 women, have been killed or injured. Tens of thousands, mostly in the south and southeast of the country, have been displaced by the fighting.” UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett also called for an independent and transparent investigation into Pakistani attacks on Kabul’s drug rehab centre. “I echo that the air strike by #Pakistan impacting a drug rehabilitation centre in #Kabul reportedly leaving scores dead and injured, must be promptly, independently and transparently investigated, those responsible held to account, and reparations made to victims and families,” Bennett wrote on X on 17th March. I echo that the air strike by #Pakistan impacting a drug rehabilitation centre in #Kabul reportedly leaving scores dead and injured, must be promptly, independently and transparently investigated, those responsible held to account, and reparations made to victims and families. https://t.co/pRzyEU6fBH— UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett (@SR_Afghanistan) March 18, 2026 WHO Director-General stresses ‘peace’ and de-escalation as Pakistan kills hundreds of civilians in Afghanistan, avoids direct condemnation of Pakistani brutality Meanwhile, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) raised concern over the escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan and did not directly condemn Islamabad. He urged both the conflicting parties to “prioritise peace and health”. “An upsurge in hostilities between #Afghanistan and #Pakistan has resulted in at least 6 health facilities reportedly being impacted in Afghanistan since late February. In addition, a reported overnight strike on the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Facility in Kabul, managed by the Ministry of Interior, killed more than 400 people, and injured at least 250, who were being treated for substance use disorders. @WHO is working to verify these incidents. But the intensifying conflict is placing additional strain on health systems and increasing risks to the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. I urge all parties to de-escalate and prioritize peace and health. Peace is the best medicine,” Ghebreyesus said. An upsurge in hostilities between #Afghanistan and #Pakistan has resulted in at least 6 health facilities reportedly being impacted in Afghanistan since late February. In addition, a reported overnight strike on the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Facility in Kabul, managed by the… pic.twitter.com/QQwlKKQ9VJ— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) March 17, 2026 UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemns Pakistan airstrike on drug rehab centre in Kabul On 17th March, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said that an airstrike carried out by Pakistan military forces impacted the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital, leaving dozens dead and injured. Although Pakistan has zero regards for international laws pertaining to not targeting civilian and medical facilities even in wartimes, the UNAMA said, “Under international law, all parties to a conflict must respect and protect the sick and wounded, medical personnel, hospitals and ambulances and attacks on hospitals and civilian facilities are strictly prohibited.” “Across Afghanistan, civilians continue to pay the price for the ongoing conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan. In line with its Security Council mandate, since 26 February, and prior to the incident on 16 March, UNAMA documented at least 76 civilian deaths and 213 injuries in Afghanistan due to the hostilities,” it added. European Union calls Pakistan’s airstrike in Kabul a “deadly escalation” The European Union also issued a statement condemning Pakistani airstrike on the hospital in Kabul. In a joint statement, EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas and Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said that civilian and medical facilities were protected under international law and called the Pakistani strike “another deadly escalation in a conflict that needs to end as soon as possible.” Norway says “medical facilities must never be bombed” but fails to even mention Pakistan In an X post, the Foreign Ministry of Norway expressed “regret” over Pakistani airstrike on the drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul. While the Norwegian foreign ministry stressed that hospitals should never be bombed, it did not name the perpetrator of this atrocity, Pakistan. “Norway strongly regrets casualties at a drug-rehabilitation center in Kabul. Parties must respect proportionality and precaution. Medical facilities and patients should never be bombed. We urge restraint and dialogue to end hostilities and address cross-border security concerns,” the Norway MFA said. Norway strongly regrets casualties at a drug-rehabilitation center in Kabul. Parties must respect proportionality and precaution. Medical facilities and patients should never be bombed. We urge restraint and dialogue to end hostilities and address cross-border security concerns— Norway MFA (@NorwayMFA) March 17, 2026 In a major embarrassment to Norway, the said post received a community note for failing to mention Pakistan. Meanwhile, Jan Egeland, the Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said that the Council officials witnessed the “first hand impact” of the attack on Kabul drug rehab centre. Egeland, however, avoided naming Pakistan in the post. “We are deeply saddened by reports of attacks on a hospital in Kabul last night. We saw firsthand the devastating impact on civilians and the hospital, which has reportedly resulted in a large number of casualties. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be targeted. All parties must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and ensure their safety at all times,” he wrote. We are deeply saddened by reports of attacks on a hospital in Kabul last night. We saw firsthand the devastating impact on civilians and the hospital, which has reportedly resulted in a large number of casualties. Civilians and civilian infrastructure must never be targeted.… pic.twitter.com/WDHgUZ3JeG— Jan Egeland (@NRC_Egeland) March 17, 2026 India condemns Pakistan airstrike on Kabul hospital in strongest words India, which has historically faced and retaliated against Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism, unequivocally condemned Pakistan’s “cowardly targeting of Kabul hospital.” “India unequivocally condemns Pakistan’s barbaric airstrike on the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Kabul on the night of March 16. This is a cowardly and unconscionable act of violence that has claimed the lives of a large number of civilians in a facility which can by no means be justified as a military target. Pakistan is now trying to dress up a massacre as a military operation,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said. The MEA called Pakistan’s attack a “heinous act of aggression” that assaulted “Afghanistan’s sovereignty and a direct threat to regional peace and stability.” India further, highlighted Pakistan’s persistent pattern of recklessness that continues even in the supposed holy month Ramzan, stemming from the desperation to externalise Islamabad’s internal failures. “It reflects Pakistan’s persistent pattern of reckless behaviour and its repeated attempts to externalize internal failures through increasingly desperate acts of violence beyond its borders. That this attack was carried out during the holy month of Ramzan, a time of peace, reflection, and mercy among Muslim communities across the world, makes it all the more reprehensible. There is no faith, no law, and no morality that can justify the deliberate targeting of a hospital and its patients,” the MEA stated.“The international community must hold the perpetrators of this criminal act accountable and ensure that the wanton targeting by Pakistan of civilians in Afghanistan ceases without delay,” it added. Reckless in attack, shameless in defence: Pakistan denies targeting Kabul hospital despite evidence Pakistan has a knack for blaming others for its own security and policy failures. The country harboured Jihadi terrorists in its backyard for decades as proxy forces to fight against India. However, now that its own proxy Jihadis have turned into a Frankenstein monster, Pakistan calls them ‘Fitna-al-Hindustan’ and ‘Fitna-ul-Khawarij’ and, mindlessly levels similar accusations against Afghanistan. While the May 2025 hammering by India, has made it clear to Islamabad that poking India militarily to deflect attention from domestic failures would be disastrous, the hostile neighbour has found an easy target in Afghanistan for the same purpose. Pakistan knows that attacking Afghanistan, which has no conventional armed forces, is easy, and would also not attract much global condemnation given Afghan Taliban regime’s reputation. Stemming from belief, Pakistani Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar demonstrated peak shamelessness and denied any Pakistani attack on the drug rehabilitation centre in Afghanistan. He said that Pakistani struck only terror infrastructure in Kabul and not any civilian or medical facility. Apparently, for Pakistan, even hospitals in enemy territory are terror infrastructure. However, facts debunk Tarar’s claim as it is well-documented that the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital in Afghanistan, which Pakistan attacked and called a ‘terror infrastructure’ was previously a NATO base, which was repurposed as drug rehabilitation facility. Many international health aid bodies, including UNAMA operate here.