Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad has said that prolonged restrictions, curfews and instability have significantly affected access to education, especially for girls in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, it was reported on Saturday.
Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad made these remarks during an event hosted by Pakistan’s Permanent Mission to the UN on the sidelines of the 70th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
The Ambassador noted that the heavy presence of Indian forces, communication shutdowns, restrictions on movement and the broader climate of uncertainty have repeatedly disrupted the functioning of schools and universities.
Senator Bushra Anjum Butt emphasized that women’s empowerment through education is both a constitutional commitment and a national development priority for Pakistan.
She said that over the past decade, federal and provincial governments have taken steps to improve access to education by building schools in underserved areas, expanding scholarships and improving school infrastructure.
On the occasion, the speakers stressed that education must never become a casualty of conflict or political disputes.
