Malala Yousafzai became the youngest-ever person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
Nobel laureate and Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai today said she is worried about the safety of Kashmir children and women, days after the government's decision to end special status to Jammu and Kashmir and split it into two union territories.
"The people of Kashmir have lived in conflict since I was a child, since my mother and father were children, since my grandparents were young," Ms Yousafzai said in her statement which she tweeted.
Ms Yousafzai, 22, also urged the international community to ensure peace in the region.
"Today I am worried about the safety of the Kashmiri children and women, the most vulnerable to violence and the most likely to suffer losses in conflict," she said.
Ms Yousafzai's reaction comes a day after Pakistan expelled the Indian envoy in Islamabad and announced a five-point plan that included a downgrade of its ties with India and suspension of bilateral trade, in response to the government's move on Jammu and Kashmir.Pakistan also said it would appeal to the United Nation's Security Council against the government's Kashmir decisions.
Malala Yousafzai became a global symbol for girls' education and human rights after a gunman boarded her school bus in October 2012, asked "Who is Malala?" and shot her.
After medical treatment in the UK, she continued her vocal advocacy and became the youngest-ever person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
Jammu and Kashmir has been paralysed by an unprecedented lockdown to prevent any backlash over the government's decision to strip Jammu and Kashmir of special status under Article 370 and split it into two union territories.
Over 40,000 troops are in Jammu and Kashmir, sent over the past weeks ahead of the government's big move.
As part of a complete communications blackout, phone services and internet connections remain suspended. Top officials are using satellite phones to communicate.
Security officers in Jammu and Kashmir have assured that the situation is calm, barring incidents like stone-throwing.