Lawyers slam US, Israeli military strikes against Iran as ‘illegal aggression and war crime’

The Karachi Bar Association (KBA) on Monday convened an emergency session of its general body to condemn unprovoked and unlawful military aggression by the United States and Israel targeting Iran's sovereign territory and strategic nuclear facilities at Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.

The meeting was presided over by KBA President Amir Nawaz Warraich. In a resolution adopted in the meeting, the lawyers' body said: "This coordinated act of aggression constitutes a direct violation of Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter and UN Security Council Resolution 2231 (2015), which obligates states to honour peaceful agreements and refrain from hostile actions against signatories of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Act (JCPOA).”

The resolution said that there were no credible claim of self-defence under Article 51 of the UN Charter, as no armed attack was initiated by Iran, and thus the pretext of "preemtive self-defence" remains legally void, militarily disproportionate, and morally indefensible.

"This attack mirrors a familiar and dangerous pattern of US-led imperial militarism as seen in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria which has brought decades of destruction, displacement, and instability, all based on lies, fabrication, or unverified intelligence," read the resolution.

"The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following this strike has issued threatening statements directed at Pakistan, irresponsibly dragging Pakistan's name into a geopolitical crisis and attempting to provoke further regional chaos. This constitutes a reckless escalation and an insult to Pakistan's sovereignty."

The moot said that the US had repeatedly weaponized its veto power in the UN Security Council to shield Israeli war crimes in Palestine, and continues to act with impunity, eroding the credibility of international law and enabling a cycle of unaccountable violence.

It expressed unwavering solidarity with the people of Iran and with all nations resisting imperialism, occupation, and the violation of their territorial integrity. The lawyers condemned the Israeli PM's statement about Pakistan, saying it was a deliberate provocation intended to destablize the wider Muslim world.

The meeting urged the government to issue a strong diplomatic protest against Israel, summon the US envoy for formal explanations, and raise matter at the OIC, UN General Assembly and international court of justice. Judicial work was suspended from 10:30am onward to express solidarity with Iran after the US strikes at Iran.