Civilian toll mounts as Pakistan expands domestic drone operations in KP

A suspected drone strike on June 21, 2025, in the Makin area of South Waziristan killed an 11-year-old boy and wounded five other schoolchildren as they walked home. According to Dawn, eyewitnesses reported that a small drone hovered overhead before releasing its payload. The incident triggered widespread protests, with residents blocking roads and tribal elders convening a jirga to demand an independent investigation and compensation for the victims.

This incident came just a month after another strike in North Waziristan. On May 19, four children were killed while eating breakfast in their home in Hurmuz village, Mir Ali tehsil. Their mother and several others were also injured. As reported by The Express Tribune, the children’s bodies were not buried for two days as thousands of locals staged a sit-in protest at Mir Ali Chowk. The protest ended only after officials assured them of an investigation.

Human rights organizations and civil society groups have raised serious concerns about the rise in domestic drone operations. Amnesty International reported in June that it had verified at least four drone strikes since March 2025 that caused civilian casualties, warning of a “disturbing pattern of impunity” and calling for greater transparency and accountability. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) issued a statement on May 28 expressing deep concern over the “continued reports of suspected drone and quadcopter strikes in civilian areas” and called on the government to disclose rules of engagement and investigate incidents involving civilian deaths.

Pashtun rights groups have been particularly vocal. Members of the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) argue that the growing use of drones is further marginalizing already vulnerable communities. PTM activist Fazal ur Rehman Afridi told reporters that drone strikes are being deployed in Pashtun-dominated areas with little regard for civilian safety, adding that the Hurmuz incident demonstrates a broader pattern of state violence against ethnic minorities.

The Pakistani military has denied responsibility for several recent strikes, including the one in Mir Ali, and instead attributed them to the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). In a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army alleged that the Mir Ali incident was a “false-flag operation” carried out by militants using a small armed quadcopter. Residents and victims’ families have rejected this explanation, accusing the military of evading accountability.

Pakistan’s drone program began in 2015 with the introduction of the NESCOM Burraq, the country’s first domestically developed armed UAV. At the time, a strike in North Waziristan was publicly acknowledged and framed as a counterterrorism success. Since then, however, the military has offered little information on the scope of the program. Independent analysts believe Pakistan has acquired additional drone systems from China, including the CH-4 and CH-5 models, but there is no official confirmation.

The increased use of drones marks a stark shift in Pakistan’s stance on unmanned warfare. For over a decade, the country vocally opposed U.S. drone operations on its soil, denouncing them as violations of sovereignty that caused widespread civilian casualties. According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan between 2004 and 2018 killed hundreds of civilians and sparked major protests. Yet critics now argue that Pakistan’s own drone operations are conducted with even less transparency and oversight.

Legal experts and human rights advocates warn that the continued lack of transparency could further destabilize the already volatile tribal regions. In interviews with Al Jazeera and BBC Urdu, activists and lawyers emphasized the risks of increased radicalization, displacement, and alienation among civilians, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. HRCP and Amnesty have both called for the establishment of an independent civilian body to investigate drone strikes and provide reparations to victims’ families.

Despite official claims that drone operations are targeted and precise, recent incidents suggest otherwise. Children walking home from school or families eating breakfast appear just as likely to be caught in the crossfire as any alleged militant. As protests continue and public scrutiny intensifies, many in the region say the fear of drones has become a daily reality. The absence of accountability mechanisms and continued denial from authorities have only deepened the sense of injustice felt by those living under the shadow of aerial surveillance.

While the Pakistani government insists that drone strikes are necessary tools in the fight against militancy, the recent escalation and resulting civilian casualties have fueled concerns that the strategy may be causing more harm than good. Unless meaningful reforms are introduced, including oversight, independent investigations, and public transparency, the situation is likely to worsen, further eroding trust between the state and its marginalized communities.

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