Pakistani Army turning Pashtun villages into battlegrounds: Report

Islamabad, Aug 26 (IANS) Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province is grappling with a fresh military offensive as a "targetted operation” by the Pakistani army against Islamist militants near the Afghan border has caught several innocent civilians, including women and children, in the crossfire, exposing them to deadly bombardments and widespread displacement, a report cited on Tuesday.

It stated that the military operations have once again transformed the Pashtun villages into battlegrounds.

According to a report that appeared in the Greek City Times, thousands of Pashtun residents have been forced to abandon their homes in the Bajaur district due to heavy bombardment by gunship helicopters and artillery.

"Local officials estimate that over 20,000 families (more than 100,000 people) have been displaced within days of the operation’s start. A strict curfew has been imposed across Bajaur, effectively trapping about 400,000 people in conflict zones and preventing many from evacuating to safety. Despite military claims of a limited offensive aimed only at ‘terrorist hideouts,’ tragedies are already unfolding,” the report detailed.

“In Bajaur’s Inayat Killi area, a mortar shell struck a home and killed a mother and her two young children. The incident sparked outrage as hundreds of local residents carried black flags and held a sit-in protest to demand justice for the slain family. Unfortunately, such incidents are not isolated. Earlier this year, KPK saw a spate of drone and quadcopter strikes that killed and maimed civilians in tribal districts,” it added.

The report mentioned that earlier in March, a Pakistani military drone strike in Mardan district of the province claimed the lives of 11 villagers, while in June, a similar drone attack in South Waziristan killed one child and injured five others. Since March 2025, such Pakistani military aerial operations have resulted in the death of at least 17 people, including five children, in KPK.

“In Bajaur, tribal elders convened jirgas (councils) and made urgent appeals for a peaceful resolution to avoid an armed confrontation. Those pleas were ignored by the Pakistan military establishment. Community leaders say they negotiated with the militants and even reached a short ceasefire, but the army abruptly resumed the offensive when talks fell apart. Whereas the KPK lawmakers have decried the fresh military operation and questioned who authorized it against the will of the provincial authorities,” it noted.

The report highlighted the grave concerns raised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) over continued drone strikes and military bombardments, causing civilian casualties and injuries in KPK.

Similarly, Amnesty International, it said, has sharply criticised Pakistani authorities for what it describes as a “reckless disregard for civilian life” in the province.

--IANS

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