As I sit here in Europe, poring over reports from the rugged frontiers of South Asia, I can’t help but feel a familiar surge of outrage. For decades, I’ve chronicled the plight of marginalized peoples — from the Kurds enduring endless betrayals to the silenced voices in occupied territories. Now, the February 22, 2026, Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan scream of the same shameful pattern: a powerful state cloaking its aggression in the rhetoric of self-defense, while raining death on innocents. Let’s be clear — this isn’t about targeting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). It’s a brazen assault on Afghan civilians, a violation of sovereignty that must end now. And in this geopolitical chess game, India’s principled stand shines as a beacon of regional integrity.

Picture this: It’s the holy month of Ramadan, a time of reflection and peace. Yet, Pakistani jets scream over Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, pounding what officials in Islamabad dub “militant hideouts.” They boast of 70-80 terrorists eliminated in “intelligence-based, selective” operations. But where’s the proof? No independent verification has surfaced — none. Instead, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) paints a harrowing picture: at least 13 civilians slaughtered, seven more wounded, including women and children. The Afghan Red Crescent Society tallies 18 deaths in Nangarhar alone. Taliban officials and eyewitnesses push the grim count beyond 20, with bodies still trapped under rubble.

The heart of this tragedy beats in Girdi Kas village, Behsud district. A single family’s home — home to 23-24 souls — obliterated. Eighteen perished, 11 of them women and children. The patriarch? Shahabuddin, an 80-year-old farmer and tribal elder, not a militant mastermind. Rescuers clawed through debris with bulldozers, unearthing non-combatants, not arsenals. Afghanistan’s Education Ministry confirms eight schoolchildren — five boys, three girls — killed in Behsud, and a madrassa student injured in Paktika. These aren’t collateral; they’re the targets.

The names haunt me, circulated on X by voices like @Ali_Mustafa, corroborated by media scraps: Shahabuddin (80), Sharakat (30), young Sher Khan (15), Fakhr Alam (12), Noor Alam (10), Mir Alam (8), Farisha (17), Khadija (15), Marwa (6), Muhmanda (40), Bibi Roza (30), Nazma (16), Shams Sharakat (14), Aftab Sharakat (10), Basit Sharakat (5), and the tiniest, Muhammad Sharakat (1). Over half under 18 — children whose futures were bombed into oblivion. This isn’t precision; it’s predation. Pakistani claims of “no civilians targeted,” blaming “human shields,” crumble under local testimonies and international scrutiny. It’s propaganda, pure and simple, echoing the excuses I’ve heard from oppressors worldwide.

Why now? Pakistan buries its own dead — 1,034 from terror in 2025, up 34% — and 2026 opens with horror: a February 6 Shia mosque bombing in Islamabad killing 32, wounding 170; attacks in Bannu and Bajaur. Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering TTP, flouting the Doha Agreement. Fair point? Perhaps, but Afghanistan retorts with Pakistan’s intelligence lapses and denies complicity. The real fuse? The contested Durand Line, that 1,600-mile scar Afghanistan deems illegitimate. A fragile October 2025 ceasefire shattered, and these strikes — during Ramadan — reek of provocation, deemed un-Islamic by Afghans.

On X, the divide is stark. Afghan and Pashtun users condemn the carnage, sharing UNAMA reports and victim tales, fueling protests accusing the Taliban of terrorist ties for cash. Pakistani voices justify it as anti-terror, dismissing reports as TTP lies. Broader trends scream “escalation” and “humanitarian crisis,” with 60-70% of posts sympathizing with victims, calling for UN probes. Yet, some critique both sides’ vicious cycles.

Internationally, Afghanistan lodges a UN Security Council complaint, demanding investigations and halts. The Taliban vows “measured” retaliation. UNAMA urges civilian safeguards under international law, but stops short of condemnation. The US, China, Saudi Arabia? Muted, watching. But India, India steps up with moral clarity. The Ministry of External Affairs blasts the strikes as a “blatant violation,” causing civilian deaths in Ramadan, framing it as Pakistan “externalizing internal failures.” New Delhi reaffirms Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence — silent on Pakistan’s terror woes, yes, but laser-focused on justice. This isn’t opportunism; it’s strategy rooted in principle. Since the Taliban’s 2021 return, India has offered aid, tech, diplomacy — alarming Pakistan, which fears anti-Pak activities from Afghan soil. India’s condemnation isolates Islamabad, bolsters Kabul ties, and counters influence in Central Asia. In a nuclear-tinged rivalry, it’s a smart play for stability.

The risks? Immediate: 60-70% chance of tit-for-tat in 24-72 hours — Afghan shelling met by Pakistani strikes on Kabul. Medium-term: 50-60% odds of retaliation cycles, radicalizing Pashtuns, boosting TTP, eroding Doha pacts. Long-term: 30-40% risk of chronic border war, spilling into Central Asia, straining economies ($2-3B trade disrupted), and fueling “greater Pashtunistan” dreams. India might amp support, risking miscalculations—but positively, forging an Afghan-India axis for reconstruction.

This cycle — “dead to justify more dead” — must stop. Pakistan’s not hunting militants; it’s terrorizing civilians, eroding Afghan sovereignty. The hypocrisy is deafening: Islamabad cries foul over its losses but bombs schools and homes. The world UN, EU — must intervene, enforce probes, demand verifiable intel-sharing. India’s stance? Exemplary, a model for defending the vulnerable against aggressors.

As a human rights advocate, I’ve seen this script before—in Kurdistan, Palestine, PoK. Afghanistan deserves dignity, not drones. Sovereignty isn’t negotiable; it’s sacred. Pakistan, heed the call: End the airstrikes. Now. For the children of Girdi Kas, for peace.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)