UN Experts Warn of Imminent Ceasefire Collapse, Call for Permanent Peace Process

UN human rights experts issued an urgent statement calling on both Pakistan and Afghanistan to 'commit to a permanent ceasefire, resolve root causes of conflict, and ensure accountability for violations of international law' as the Eid truce neared expiry. The statement, issued from Geneva, cited the March 16 Pakistani airstrike on the Omid Drug Rehabilitation Center (143+ killed) as evidence of severe civilian harm and potential war crimes. UN experts noted that since Pakistan launched Operation Ghazab-il-Haq on February 26, at least 289 civilians had been documented killed across Afghanistan, with approximately 115,000 people displaced. The UN called on all states with influence over the parties — including China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, and the United States — to use their leverage to prevent resumption of hostilities. Pakistani officials responded that operations were targeted at terrorist infrastructure and would continue if TTP attacks persisted.