Pakistani airstrike on Afghan civilians exposes decades of cross-border militarisation and unaddressed militant sanctuaries
Original framing: “Afghan mother seeks justice after Pakistani bombing kills hundreds” — The Hindu
The piece references Cold War-era proxy wars and U.S. drone policies, offering a historical context for the current violence. However, it lacks deeper analysis of long-term historical patterns, such as colonial legacies or pre-20th-century cross-border dynamics.
The Pakistani airstrike on Afghan civilians is not an isolated incident but a symptom of a deeply entrenched system of cross-border militarisation, shaped by Cold War legacies, U.S.
drone policies, and the failure of regional governance. While the narrative often centres on the grief of an Afghan mother, it obscures the structural violence that enables such tragedies. A systemic approach must integrate historical accountability, cross-border cooperation, and civil society engagement to dismantle the impunity that sustains cycles of violence. Only by addressing the militarisation of borders and the geopolitical interests that benefit from instability can meaningful peace emerge.