Responding to the escalating armed engagement between India and Pakistan, Carolyn Horn, Programme Director for Law and Policy at Amnesty International said:
“The escalation of hostilities between India and Pakistan has already taken a toll on civilians. Amnesty International is concerned by reports of loss of civilian lives in both India and Pakistan. In every armed conflict, protecting civilians is paramount— it’s a fundamental principle of international humanitarian law which binds all nations. Deliberate, indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks harming civilians or damaging civilian infrastructure such as homes, hospitals, schools, and essential services, are strictly prohibited under the Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols and under customary international law.
“Amnesty International calls on the governments of India and Pakistan to uphold their obligations under both international human rights and humanitarian law. They must take all necessary measures to protect civilians and minimize any suffering and casualties in both countries. As forces from both countries are now engaged in open hostilities, Amnesty International insists that neither security nor justice will be achieved with the senseless loss of more civilian lives.
In every armed conflict, protecting civilians is paramount.
Carolyn Horn, Programme Director for Law and Policy at Amnesty International
“We extend our condolences to the families on both sides of the border who have lost their loved ones and borne the devastating cost of the current escalation in what has been a long-standing conflict. We unequivocally condemn the deliberate targeting and unlawful killing of civilians by armed groups during the horrific attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, on 22nd April and call for an independent, transparent and thorough investigation to bring the suspected perpetrators of the atrocity to account through fair trials, without recourse to the death penalty.”
Background to the conflict between India and Pakistan
India conducted several airstrikes in Pakistan and in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the early hours on Wednesday, 7 May 2025. Pakistan officials claim that 31 people have been killed and 57 injured by the air strikes including children, women and families and claims one civilian was killed by drone-related attacks on 8 May.
Meanwhile, India’s army claims that at least 15 civilians were killed and more than 40 injured by Pakistani shelling on its side of the line of control since the airstrikes.
The escalation of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed countries came after the horrific killing of at least 26 civilians, mainly tourists and families, by five members of armed groups near Pahalgam in the Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on 22 April. India claims it has evidence linking the armed attack to Pakistan – a claim Pakistan denies. Pakistan has said that India has not offered any evidence to support its claim and has requested for an independent investigation.
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