India calls attention to terror that affects women most

New Delhi: India has called attention to the rampant violence perpetrated against women by terrorists and reinforced the demands for zero tolerance for terrorism.

Speaking at the Security Council on Tuesday, India's Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj said that "women and girls suffer invariably and disproportionately" from terrorism and violent extremism that are the biggest violators of human rights.

"Violence against women and girls perpetrated by terrorists remains rampant" while being "a persistent threat to global peace and security", she said.

While the Council was holding a debate on "Women, Peace and Security" and looking ahead to the 25th anniversary of its landmark resolution on the matter in two years, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari raised the Kashmir issue, twinning it with Palestine.

Claiming that Kashmir was under "foreign occupation", he asserted that the "most egregious "atrocities and crimes against girls and women" were taking place in those two areas.

Rather than elevate it with a detailed response, Kamboj said, "My delegation considers it unworthy to even respond to such malicious and false propaganda. Rather, our focus is where it shall always be – positive and forward-looking".