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Updated: Sep 15, 2019 17:02 IST

Pakistani Nobel Peace Prize winner and education rights activist Malala Yousafzai’s appeal to the UN to work towards peace in Kashmir and help children go back to school amid the tense situation in the Valley has drawn sharp retort from BJP MP Shobha Karandlaje.

“I am asking leaders, at #UNGA and beyond, to work towards peace in Kashmir, listen to Kashmiri voices and help children go safely back to school,” Malala, the youngest ever Nobel Laureate had tweeted on Saturday.

On Sunday, Karandlaje took to Twitter to remind Malala of the persecution of girls of the minority communities in Pakistan.

Sincere request to the Nobel winner, to spend some time speaking with the minorities of Pakistan.



To speak against the forceful conversation & persecution taking place on the minority girls in her own country!



Developmental agendas got extended to Kashmir, nothing suppressed! https://t.co/Um3BmGuJwi — Shobha Karandlaje (@ShobhaBJP) September 15, 2019

The 22-year-old Malala who has been living in the United Kingdom after surviving a murder attempt by a Taliban terrorist in Swat in 2012, said she was deeply concerned about reports of students who have not been able to attend school for more than 40 days, about girls who are afraid to leave their homes.

“I wanted to hear directly from girls living in Kashmir right now. It took a lot of work from a lot of people to get their stories because of the communications blackout. Kashmiris are cut off from the world and unable to make their voices heard. #LetKashmirSpeak,” she tweeted.

The government in Jammu and Kashmir has been gradually lifting curbs and has also ordered opening of schools but attendance has been thin, particularly in Kashmir valley. Many parents continue to keep their children at home due to apprehensions about their safety.

The government had announced a slew of restrictions on August 5 that included a communication blackout and closure of educational institutions as the Centre scrapped Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.