New Delhi:
Nobel laureate and Pakistani rights activist Malala Yousafzai today asked Pakistan to show “bold and strong commitment” to guard women’s rights in Afghanistan. Ms Yousafzai, who is also the UN Messenger of Peace, made the remarks for the duration of a virtual session on “Supporting a future for girls’ education in Afghanistan” as aspect of the UN General Assembly.
On becoming asked at the session about irrespective of whether Pakistan could place stress on the Taliban about girls’ correct to continue education, Ms Yousafzai stated, “Pakistan is the neighbouring country of Afghanistan and we know that terrorism and extremism in Afghanistan reaches to the border of Pakistan as well and it impacts girls and women and communities in Pakistan and women’s rights there as well.”
“Pakistan should see the situation in Afghanistan not just has an issue of peace and security there alone, but as a peace and security issue for the whole region including Pakistan, peace in Afghanistan means peace in Pakistan,” she stated.
In 2012, Ms Yousafzai was shot at by Taliban terrorists in Pakistan in an assassination try, in retaliation for her activism on girls’ correct to education. Nine months soon after becoming shot, on her 16th birthday, she delivered a speech at the UN headquarters on women’s correct to education.
“So far we have heard some statements from the Prime Minister of Pakistan that women’s rights must be protected and girls’ education must be protected, but I hope that Pakistan can show a bold and strong commitment towards the protection of human rights in Afghanistan because we know that such ideologies can harm the whole region,” Ms Yousafzai stated.
She expressed hope that the Prime Minister of Pakistan will open the borders to the “people of Afghanistan who need to seek safety for their protection and for their families”.
“So far Pakistan has welcomed thousands of people but we need to be more open to welcoming people who are under risk. Pakistan needs to ensure that it gets into a conversation and negotiation with Taliban to ensure protection of human rights,” she stated.