NEW YORK: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has expressed confidence that Pakistan will overcome its current challenges, including the economic crisis, with resilience and determination.
“Pakistan has seen tough times in the past and fought them bravely. This time too, the nation will overcome the difficult situation,” he told reporters in New York on Tuesday.
Bilawal is in New York for a five-day visit during which he will preside over a conference on ‘Women in Islam’ on Wednesday on the sidelines of the 67th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).
As the host of an event on Islamophobia from the platform of the Council of Foreign Ministers, Bilawal emphasized the need to combat negative perceptions regarding human rights, especially those of women and minorities.
He said that Islam grants women rights and promotes their emancipation in all fields of life.
When asked about his party’s pro-women stance, Bilawal referred to women as the strength of the Pakistan Peoples Party and champions of women’s rights in the country.
Bilawal also welcomed the adoption of national action plans by over 90 countries worldwide, empowering women and girls to respond to violence and conflict. He joined others in voicing concern over the continued victimization of women and girls in crimes and conflicts.
Expressing disappointment over the restrictions imposed on women in Afghanistan, including their right to access work and education at all levels, he urged their reversal. Bilawal stated that the most egregious hypocrisies and crimes occur in foreign occupations and places where the right to self-determination is violated.
