Pakistan tells UN sexual violence used as ‘weapon of war’ in Palestine, Kashmir
Pakistan tells UN sexual violence used as ‘weapon of war’ in Palestine, Kashmir/node/2612386/pakistan
Pakistan tells UN sexual violence used as ‘weapon of war’ in Palestine, Kashmir
Pakistan's Ambassador to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, speaking at the United Nations Security Council in New York, US, on August 10, 2025. (@PakistanUN_NY/X)
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan told the United Nations on Tuesday sexual violence was employed as a “weapon of war” under foreign occupations, highlighting the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and Indian-administered Kashmir, and calling for accountability for the perpetrators.
Speaking at the UN Security Council’s annual open debate on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, Pakistan’s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the international community must act decisively against such abuses.
The ambassador noted this year marks the 25th anniversary of Resolution 1325, which recognizes the impact of armed conflict on women and the importance of their participation in peace processes.
He added that recent UN reports paint a grim picture of rising militarization, displacement and widespread sexual violence against civilians.
“Sexual violence is being used as a weapon of war, torture, terrorism, political repression and as a tool to consolidate illegal occupation of territories, as well as exploitation of natural resources,” Ahmad said in his statement. “The perpetrators must face justice, because impunity only emboldens abuse.”
Focusing on Palestine, he said thousands are facing violence, forced displacement and starvation at the hands of the occupying power.
“Despite the limited access granted to UN monitors, the SG’s [Secretary General’s] report has documented incidents of rape, sexual violence, prolonged forced nudity and repeated strip searches inflicted in degrading ways,” he continued. “This Council cannot turn away from such systematic abuse. Accountability is imperative.”
Ahmad also drew parallels with Indian-administered Kashmir, where he said sexual violence has been systematically used by security forces to punish and intimidate those demanding self-determination.
He urged the UN to take a comprehensive approach to addressing conflict-related sexual violence, especially in contexts of foreign occupation, where abuse is harder to monitor or report.
He called for greater participation of women in peacebuilding, the adoption of a survivor-centered approach, prioritization of situations of occupation, accountability for perpetrators and action to address the root causes of unresolved conflicts.
The Pakistani diplomat also highlighted his country’s contributions to UN peacekeeping, including its women peacekeepers, who serve in some of the world’s most dangerous conflict zones.
“Sexual violence is among the gravest crimes against human dignity,” he said. “We must take urgent and resolute action to put an end to these abhorrent practices and the impunity that sustains them.”
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan offered to enhance exports of agricultural goods and pesticides to Iran on Tuesday, as Federal Minister for National Food Security Rana Tanveer Hussain met Iranian First Vice President Dr. Mohammad Reza Aref in Tehran to reaffirm both countries’ commitment to raising bilateral trade to $10 billion.
The Pakistani minister’s visit followed Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s first official visit to Pakistan earlier this month since taking over his country’s top executive office.
During that trip, both sides agreed to boost trade from around $3 billion to $10 billion, signing multiple agreements across trade, energy and infrastructure sectors.
“Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research, Rana Tanveer Hussain, called on the First Vice President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Dr. Mohammad Reza Aref, at the Presidency in Tehran,” said an official statement circulated after the meeting.
“He underlined Pakistan’s readiness to enhance exports of rice, corn, bananas, meat and livestock to Iran, while also highlighting opportunities for Iran to import high-quality pesticides and other agricultural products from Pakistan,” it continued. “The Federal Minister emphasized that greater cooperation in agriculture and food security could act as a catalyst for overall economic integration between the two brotherly countries.”
Iran’s first vice president praised the proposal as constructive. He reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to reaching the bilateral trade target and announced that the next session of the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) of the two countries would be convened soon to consolidate progress and identify new areas of cooperation.
Both sides expressed optimism that collaboration in agriculture and food security would unlock broader economic opportunities and regional stability.
In recent years, Pakistan and Iran have primarily discussed barter trade frameworks to bypass financial and currency hurdles.
Sanctions and foreign exchange shortages remain major obstacles for Iran, making barter system and border markets key features of its trade approach to Pakistan.
Young Hindu girls in Pakistan turn away from centuries-old face tattoos
Tattoos that once marked beauty and identity in Hindu villages are now seen as social liabilities
As rural communities in Sindh modernize, Hindus are breaking from the Indus civilization practice
Updated 20 August 2025
AFP
UMERKOT, Pakistan: Grinding charcoal with a few drops of goat’s milk, 60-year-old Basran Jogi peers at the faces of two small Pakistani sisters preparing for their first tattoos.
The practice of elder women needling delicate shapes onto the faces, hands, and arms of younger generations stretches back centuries in the Hindu villages that dot the southern border with India.
“First draw two straight lines between the eyebrows,” Jogi instructs her friend poised with a sewing needle.
“Now insert the needle along the lines — but slowly, until it bleeds.”
Six-year-old Pooja barely winces as dotted circles and triangles are tattooed onto her chin and forehead.
This photograph taken on July 14, 2025 shows artist Guddi Manthar, drawing an indigenous tattoo on seven-year-old Champa's face at the Jogi Colony in Umerkot, a Hindu-majority district in Pakistan. (AFP/File)
On the outskirts of the rural town of Umerkot in Sindh province, her seven-year-old sister Champa declares eagerly beside her that “I am ready too.”
In recent years, however, as rural Hindu communities in Muslim-majority Pakistan become more connected to nearby cities, many young women have opted out of the “old ways.”
“These signs set us apart from others,” said 20-year-old Durga Prem, a computer science student who grew up in the nearby city of Badin.
“Our generation doesn’t like them anymore. In the age of social media, young girls avoid facial tattoos because they think these marks will make them look different or unattractive.”
Her sister Mumta has also refused to accept the tattoos that mark their mother and grandmothers.
“But if we were still in the village, we might have had these marks on our faces or arms,” she reflects.
This photograph taken on July 14, 2025 shows a villager in traditional attire pointing to an indigenous tattoo inked on Reshma's (C) face at the Ponjo Kolhi village, about 30 km from Umerkot, a Hindu-majority district in Pakistan. (AFP/File)
Just two percent of Pakistan’s 240 million people are Hindu, and the majority live in rural areas of southern Sindh province.
Discrimination against minorities runs deep and Hindu activist Mukesh Meghwar, a prominent voice for religious harmony, believes younger generations do not want to be instantly identified as Hindu in public.
Many Muslims believe tattoos are not permissible in Islam, and even those who have them rarely display them in public.
“We can’t force our girls to continue this practice,” Meghwar told AFP. “It’s their choice. But unfortunately, we may be the last generation to see tattoos on our women’s faces, necks, hands, and arms,” he said.
Few Hindus that AFP spoke with recalled the meaning behind the practice of tattoos or when it began, but anthropologists believe it has been part of their cultural heritage for hundreds of years.
This photograph taken on July 15, 2025 shows Aklan Jogi, posing for the camera as she adorns an indigenous tattoo inked on her face at the Sodo Jogi Colony in Umerkot, a Hindu-majority district in Pakistan. (AFP/File)
“These symbols are part of the culture of people who trace their roots to the Indus civilization,” anthropologist Zulfiqar Ali Kalhoro told AFP, referring to a Bronze Age period that pre-dates modern religion.
“These ‘marks’ were traditionally used to identify members of a community” and to “ward off evil spirits,” he adds.
Admiring the work on the grinning faces of the two little sisters, elder Jogi agreed that it was an ancestral tradition that enhanced the beauty of women.
“We don’t make them for any specific reason — it’s a practice that has continued for years. This is our passion,” she told AFP.
The marks that begin dark black quickly fade to a deep green color, but last a lifetime.
“They belong to us,” said Jamna Kolhi, who received her first tattoos as a young girl alongside Jogi.
“These were drawn by my childhood friend — she passed away a few years ago,” 40-year-old Jamna Kolhi told AFP.
“Whenever I see these tattoos, I remember her and those old days. It’s a lifelong remembrance.”
UN chief offers Pakistan, India assistance after floods kill hundreds in less than week
Monsoon brings South Asia up to 80 percent of annual rainfall, but increasingly erratic weather patterns are turning the rains into a destructive force
Authorities in Pakistan have forecast more monsoon spells and warned of a possible repeat of the catastrophic 2022 floods, which killed nearly 1,700 people
ISLAMABAD: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday expressed sorrow over the loss of hundreds of lives in Pakistan and India in deadly rains and floods since last week, offering UN assistance to the South Asian country.
In Pakistan, the deluges, triggered by cloudburst, have left behind a trail of destruction, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province where more than 350 people have been killed since Aug. 15, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
The monsoon rains, which began on June 26, have so far claimed 707 lives across the South Asian country, one of the most climate-affected nations that has witnessed erratic weather events with increasing intensity in recent years.
In a post on X, Guterres said he felt “deep sorrow” for the lives lost due to the recent flash floods.
“I extend my sincere condolences to the victims’ families and stand in solidarity with those affected by this disaster,” he wrote. “The UN stands ready to provide any necessary assistance.”
Flooding has also hit India-administered Kashmir, where at least 67 people were killed and dozens remain missing after flash floods swept through the region last week.
Monsoon season brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall, arriving in early June in India and late June in Pakistan, and lasting through until September.
The annual rains are vital for agriculture and food security, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers. But increasingly erratic and extreme weather patterns are turning the rains into a destructive force.
Authorities in Pakistan have warned of a possible repeat of the catastrophic 2022 floods, which killed nearly 1,700 people and displaced millions of others.
“We are going through the seventh spell of monsoon of 2025,” NDMA chief Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik told reporters in Islamabad this week.
“The predictions that we made about the monsoon from June to September, there will be at least 9 to 10 spells, which will impact different areas of Pakistan.”
KARACHI: Pakistan experienced a dramatic collapse in Internet access on Tuesday, with connectivity falling to just 20% of normal levels, according to NetBlocks, a global observatory for Internet governance.
This follows a pattern of frequent Internet throttling and service outages in Pakistan, which human rights observers and digital-rights activists have long decried as tools for censorship and political control. Authorities deny this.
“Metrics show a major disruption to Internet connectivity across #Pakistan with high impact to backbone operator PTCL; overall national connectivity is down to 20 percent of ordinary levels.” NetBlocks said in a post on X.
At the time of the filing of this report, state telecom authorities, including PTCL and the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, had not responded publicly to the latest outage, even as millions of users remain offline.
There are approximately 116 million Internet users in Pakistan, according to DataReportal’s Digital 2025 report. This figure represents about 45.7 percent of the total population.
Internet shutdowns significantly impact Pakistan’s economy, causing substantial financial losses and hindering economic growth. In 2024, Pakistan experienced the highest economic losses globally due to Internet disruptions, totaling $1.62 billion.
In a separate statement, the Wireless and Internet Service Providers Association of Pakistan (WISPAP) condemned the recurring breakdowns, calling them a “national failure.”
Its chairman, Shahzad Arshad, said the situation reflected years of neglect and overdependence on a few backbone providers.
“Internet outages are no longer rare accidents in Pakistan — they’ve become a recurring reality. For two-thirds of the country to go dark in 2025, on the very date we saw the same collapse in 2022, should ring alarm bells at every level of government,” Arshad said. “We cannot build a digital economy on a foundation this fragile.”
Arshad stressed that a reliable Internet is now as essential as electricity.
“Freelancers, students, hospitals, banks — all depend on uninterrupted connectivity. Every hour offline costs Pakistan millions and damages our reputation internationally.”
Internet disruptions, whether total shutdowns or selective throttling, have become increasingly common in Pakistan, especially during times of political unrest or protests.
The latest disruption comes months after Pakistan confirmed the installation of a national Internet firewall, a centralized filtering system designed to monitor, restrict and control online content. Officials have framed the firewall as a tool for cybersecurity and “harmful content” moderation, but digital rights groups warn it enables large-scale censorship and surveillance of political speech.
Pakistan has also blocked access to major platforms in the recent past. Social media site X (formerly Twitter) remained banned from February 2024, days after a general election, until May 2025, after opposition parties accused authorities of rigging the polls and used the platform to amplify their allegations. The ban was lifted in May this year.
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top economic body on Tuesday approved a relief package worth Rs5.8 billion ($20.8 million) to support people affected by recent rains and flash floods in the country’s northwest, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
The announcement comes as nearly 400 people have been killed during the latest spell of monsoon rains in northern Pakistan that began late last week. The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) reported that of the 400 deaths since Friday, 356 were in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which has been lashed by cloudbursts, flash floods, lightning strikes and landslides in the deadliest downpour of this year’s monsoon season.
In total, 707 Pakistanis have died in monsoon rains since June 26, according to the NDMA.
“Economic Coordination Committee of the Cabinet has approved a relief package worth 5.8 billion rupees as federal assistance for the rain and flood affected people,” Radio Pakistan said in a report after a meeting of the ECC was held in Islamabad with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb in the chair.
“The ECC directed the Finance Division to immediately release 4 billion rupees of the approved package to mitigate the sufferings of affected people.”
Earlier in the day, while addressing a joint news conference on Tuesday, Pakistan’s army and government spokesmen and the chief of the NDMA said coordinated relief and rescue operations had been stepped up in affected parts of KP and the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region.
“Currently, there are eight units of the infantry and eight units of the FC [frontier constabulary] directly involved in search and rescue and flood relief operations,” Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, told reporters in Islamabad.
“In the search and rescue work, 6,903 of children and adults have been rescued by the army units,” the army spokesman said, adding that over 6,300 people had also received medical treatment.
Chaudhry said logistics bases had been set up in Kanju and Daggar to supply food, tents and medicines, while helicopters were flying emergency aid to remote areas.
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar said 70 percent of the region’s power supply had also been restored, including in districts like Buner, Shangla, Swat and Bajaur, where electrical grids, poles and transformers were destroyed.
He said ministers for energy, communications and Kashmir affairs were deployed in the field to monitor relief operations.
“In Malakand division, the N-90 highway has been fully reopened after clearing all blockades,” Tarar added.
More than 1,200 tents, 3,000 kilograms of medicines and 40 tons of food rations have been dispatched to the flood-hit regions, with over 500 medical camps operational in the area.
Volunteers walks with umbrellas to avoid rain as they survey the damaged areas, following a storm that caused heavy rains and flooding in Bayshonai Kalay, in Buner district, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on August 18, 2025. (REUTERS)
Chairman of the NDMA, Lt Gen Inam Haider Malik, who also addressed the news conference, said at least 25,000 people had been rescued in total in the last four days.
He warned of continued risks from localized flooding and cloudbursts in KP, GB, and northern Punjab, with a new monsoon spell expected in the last week of August.
“A complete survey has been launched, which has been started to assess the damage of houses and public infrastructure,” Malik said, adding that its findings would be ready by early September.
Malik said more than 50 percent of landslides had been cleared and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had approved a special ration package for affected districts.
Aid convoys to Swabi, Buner, Malakand, Bajaur, Shangla and Swat were also underway, with support from military formations and non-governmental organizations
“All arms of the state are mobilized in this national response,” he added.
TRAVEL ADVISORY
Separately, the NDMA issued a travel advisory on Tuesday warning of road closures and damage in the country’s north due to floods and landslides.
According to the advisory, tourists have been told to avoid travel on vulnerable stretches of the Karakoram Highway and connecting routes, including Torghar, Batagram, Shangla, Lower Kohistan, Tattapani, Gilgit and Hunza.
Road blockages due to floods and landslides were reported at several points on the Karakoram Highway, as well as at multiple locations along the Mingora–Swat road.
The NDMA also listed a number of damaged or closed bridges and roads in Gilgit-Baltistan, Skardu, Ghizer, Hunza and Astore.
Men retrieve a motorbike from a thick layer of mud, following a storm that caused heavy rains and flooding in Pacha Kalay Bazar, in Buner district, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, on August 18, 2025. (REUTERS)
“Surmo Bridge, Ghanche: damaged; no alternate … Baghecha, Skardu: damaged; alternate: temporary causeway but unsafe,” the advisory said.
It added that the Astak Bridge on the Jaglot–Skardu road was partially open, while major routes such as Shandur, Ishkoman, Gulmit in Gojal, Hoper in Nagar, and the Skardu–Kargil road in Kharmang district were closed with no alternate routes available.
The advisory urged travelers to check updates regularly and avoid unnecessary movement in the affected areas until roads are cleared and safe for traffic.
PUNJAB ALERT
The Punjab Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) on Tuesday also issued a fresh alert for heavy monsoon rains across much of the province from Aug. 19–22.
“Severe thunderstorms are forecast in most districts, including Rawalpindi, Murree, Galiyat, Attock, Chakwal, Jhelum, Gujranwala, Lahore, Gujrat and Sialkot,” the PDMA spokesperson said, adding that downpours were also expected in Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Rajanpur.
PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said all commissioners and deputy commissioners had been directed to remain on alert in line with instructions from Punjab’s chief minister. He warned of rising water levels in rivers and streams, flash flooding in hill torrents, and the risk of urban flooding in major cities.
In this aerial picture, volunteers remove debris from a resident's home, after flash floods hit Buner district in northern Pakistan's mountainous Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on August 18, 2025. (AFP)
“Citizens are urged to adopt precautionary measures during bad weather,” Kathia said. “Stay in safe places during storms, avoid unnecessary travel, and keep children away from low-lying areas and electricity poles and wires.”
The DG added that health, irrigation, communications, local government and livestock departments had all been placed on high alert. In case of emergency, people were advised to call the PDMA helpline at 1129.
