Nobel Peace Prize winner and Pakistani education rights activist Malala Yousafzai has urged the UN to work towards peace in Kashmir and help children in the Valley return to school.
Malala, 22, tweeted that she was deeply concerned about reports that Kashmir’s children “have not been able to attend schools for more than 40 days”, and “about girls who are afraid to leave their homes”.
“I am asking leaders, at UNGA (UN General Assembly) and beyond, to work towards peace in Kashmir, listen to Kashmiri voices and help children go safely back to school,” the youngest-ever Nobel laureate tweeted on Saturday.
He remarks drew sharp criticism from some Indian Twitter users, including functionaries of the BJP and the Shiv Sena, who asked her to speak out on the plight of the girls belonging to the minority communities in Pakistan.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has tried to keep schools open but few pupils have turned up. Many parents fear for the safety of the children, and posters have appeared in Srinagar warning people to keep their children away from school.
