Karachi, Pakistan - Noor, a college student, has sworn off wearing jeans. A week ago, while she and her friends were browsing at a boutique on Zamzama Boulevard, Karachi's elite shopping district, two bearded men entered the store. "They told us to have shame and only leave the house with our heads covered," she says. "Before we could say anything, they added that no one would be able to keep us safe if we didn't obey."
Like Noor, many young women in Karachi are starting to dress more conservatively. In the past month, they have been approached by men and told to cover themselves from head to toe or stay off the streets. City officials, who have been raising alarms about the "Talibanization" of Karachi for almost a year, connect the increased harassment of women with the rise of militancy.
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