Foreign occupation encourages violence against women, UNSC told.

WASHINGTON -- Foreign occupation creates a breeding ground for violence perpetrated by occupying forces against women and girls, said Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations.

Speaking at the Security Council debate on 'Sexual Violence in Conflict' on FriAday, Ambassador Lodhi said that by leaving unaddressed protracted disputes such as Kashmir and PalesAtine, the world body 'ran the risk of acting selectively and displaying a blind spot for some of the most vulnerable women suffering disproportionately from violence'.

At the 52nd United NatAions Commission on Human Rights, Professor William Baker, also a human-rights activist, argued that rape in Kashmir was not merely a case of isolated incidents involving undisciplined soldiers, rather Indian security forces were actively deploying rape on Kashmiri populace as a method of humiliation and invoking fear.

An Amnesty International report stated that rape is conducted during counter-offensives against militants as part of a bid to methodically shame local Kashmiri communities.

Ambassador Lodhi said women, especially young girls, continued to carry the main brunt of physical and psychological abuse and...