There was a time when the publication of an Amnesty International report carried almost unquestioned authority. Governments disputed its conclusions, but few questioned the integrity of its process. That credibility was Amnesty’s greatest asset. Today, that confidence is no longer automatic. Not because human rights matter less, but because the standards by which they are investigated have become increasingly vulnerable to the realities of modern conflict. Wars are no longer fought only with missiles and soldiers. They are fought with narratives, information campaigns, selective leaks, manipulated images, and competing versions of the truth.

In such an environment, evidence is no longer just evidence — it is a strategic weapon. That is precisely why Amnesty International’s latest report on Pakistan’s precision strikes inside Afghanistan deserves closer examination. The issue is not whether civilian casualties should be investigated. They absolutely should. Every allegation of civilian harm must be treated with seriousness, regardless of which country is accused. Pakistan cannot and should not be exempt from international scrutiny. But scrutiny itself must meet a standard. What concerns me is the growing tendency among influential international organisations to present conclusions with a level of certainty that the available evidence simply cannot sustain. When access is restricted, investigators cannot freely reach the sites they wish to inspect, witnesses cannot always speak without pressure, and independent verification becomes almost impossible — certainty should become more cautious, not more confident.

Afghanistan today is perhaps one of the most difficult countries on earth in which to establish objective facts. International journalists have limited freedom. Independent investigators face severe restrictions. Humanitarian organisations themselves acknowledge operational constraints. Entire regions remain inaccessible except through intermediaries. Every photograph, every testimony and every account must therefore be treated with exceptional care. Yet one would hardly appreciate these realities from the confidence with which Amnesty’s report reaches its conclusions.

The report relies heavily on........

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