IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 262 
Expressing the strong concern of the House of Representatives about the 
actions of the Taliban in Swat, Pakistan, to restrict girls’ access to education. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 18, 2009 
Mrs. MALONEY (for herself, Mr. HINCHEY, and Mr. FILNER) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the strong concern of the House of Representa-
tives about the actions of the Taliban in Swat, Pakistan, 
to restrict girls’ access to education. 
Whereas Pakistan was one of the United Nations Member 
States that signed the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights (UDHR), adopted on December 10, 1948, Article 
2 of which establishes the principle of nondiscrimination, 
including on the basis of sex, and Article 26 of which ar-
ticulates the right to education as a basic human right; 
Whereas Pakistan became a party to the International Cov-
enant 
on 
Economic, 
Social 
and 
Cultural 
Rights 
(ICESCR) on April 17, 2008, Article 3 of which requires 
States Parties to ensure that men and women have equal 
rights to enjoy all the rights under the ICESCR, and Ar-
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:09 Mar 19, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR262.IH
HR262
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 262 IH 
ticle 14 of which enshrines the right to education as a 
fundamental human right; 
Whereas Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of 
the Child (CRC) on November 12, 1990, Article 2 of 
which establishes the principle of nondiscrimination, in-
cluding on the basis of sex, with respect to rights set 
forth in the CRC, and Article 28 of which obligates 
States Parties to recognize the right of the child to edu-
cation and, among other things, to make primary edu-
cation compulsory and available free to all, secondary 
education available and accessible to every child, and 
higher education accessible to all; 
Whereas Pakistan acceded to the Convention on the Elimi-
nation of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on 
March 12, 1996, Article 10 of which obligates States 
Parties to take all appropriate measures to ensure equal 
rights of women with men in the field of education in-
cluding, among other things, by ensuring women the 
same conditions for access to studies, the same curricula, 
teaching staff with qualifications of the same standard 
and school premises and equipment of the same quality, 
and by taking measures to reduce female student dropout 
rates; 
Whereas, notwithstanding any declarations or reservations 
made upon ratification of these various international con-
ventions, Pakistan is under an obligation not to do any-
thing that might defeat the object and purpose of these 
conventions, pursuant to the Vienna Convention of Trea-
ties, which is widely recognized as embodying customary 
international law; 
Whereas Article 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan (1973) 
specifies that there shall be no discrimination on the 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:09 Mar 19, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6300
E:\BILLS\HR262.IH
HR262
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 262 IH 
basis of sex, Article 34 obligates Pakistan to take steps 
to ensure full participation of women in all spheres of na-
tional life, and Articles 37 (b) and (c) obligate Pakistan 
to ‘‘remove illiteracy and provide free and compulsory 
secondary education within the minimum possible period’’ 
and ‘‘make technical and professional education generally 
available and higher education equally accessible to all on 
the basis of merit’’, respectively; 
Whereas in Swat, Pakistan, insurgent Taliban forces are cur-
rently imposing restrictions on girls’ access to education, 
without any authority, and by means of force and threats 
of the use of force, and that such actions run directly 
contrary to Pakistan’s obligations under the various 
international instruments ratified by it, as well as under 
its Constitution; 
Whereas this threat to girls’ education by the Taliban in 
Swat, Pakistan, could potentially spread to other parts of 
Pakistan resulting in the Taliban increasing its power in 
Pakistan; and 
Whereas Pakistan is a strategic ally of the United States in 
its war on terror: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) urges the Government of Pakistan to take 
swift measures to halt and reverse the obstacles to 
girls’ education in Swat, Pakistan, that are being 
unconstitutionally imposed by the Taliban, and 
which are contrary to longstanding obligations which 
Pakistan has freely assumed under a number of 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:09 Mar 19, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\HR262.IH
HR262
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
•HRES 262 IH 
international instruments, as well as under its Con-
stitution; 
(2) encourages the Secretary of State to 
promptly consider and address the situation facing 
girls in Swat, Pakistan, which could have a dev-
astating impact on the lives of more than 40,000 
girls in Swat and potentially spread to other parts 
of Pakistan, resulting in the Taliban increasing its 
power in Pakistan; and 
(3) encourages the Secretary of State to report 
to Congress on a timely basis about the progress 
that Pakistan is making to enforce the rights of 
women and the actions of the United States Govern-
ment to provide targeted support to strengthen 
Pakistan’s enforcement of women’s rights across the 
country. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
03:09 Mar 19, 2009
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\HR262.IH
HR262
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS