Almost six years after being shot in the head just for going to school in Pakistan, Malala Yousufzai has returned to her homeland to launch a series of education projects for girls. Yousafzai said her trip to Pakistan - her first since she was airlifted to the UK for treatment after being shot by a Taliban gunman in 2012 - was a "dream". The campaigner was visibly emotional as she gave a short speech about returning home for the trip, and about her passion for empowering women and girls, after a meeting with Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Islamabad. "For the last five years I dreamed that I can set foot in my country," she said, wiping away tears. "It's the happiest day of my life. I still can't believe it's happening," added Yousafzai, clad in a traditional shalwar khameez outfit with her head covered with a red and blue duppata scarf. While details about her trip are being closely guarded for security reasons, and it is unclear whether she will visit … [Read more...] about Malala Yousafzai returns to Pakistan in ‘dream’ trip to push education for girls
Pakistan
Pakistan police arrest 12 people for ordering ‘revenge rape’ of alleged rapist’s sister
Police in Pakistan have arrested 12 people for allegedly ordering a man to rape a girl as revenge for the rape of his sister. Following the attack, the family of suspected rapist Wasim Saeed – from Pir Mahal in Punjab province – first asked the victim’s family for a pardon, according to police officer Rehmat Ali. The two sides then agreed to reconcile, with the condition that Mr Saeed’s sister would first be subjected to a “revenge rape”. Read more 14-year-old rape victim dies after being forced to give birth The 12 currently being held include members of a village council, elders and family members. A similar case in the same province last year saw the arrest of 25 members of an informal village council, accused of ordering the rape of a 16-year-old girl as revenge for a sexual assault committed by her brother. Although they are banned by law, revenge assaults, known as wani, are still practised in some rural areas in Pakistan. … [Read more...] about Pakistan police arrest 12 people for ordering ‘revenge rape’ of alleged rapist’s sister
Malala Yousafzai returns to Pakistan for first time since Taliban assassination attempt
Malala Yousafzai has returned to Pakistan for the first time since the Taliban tried to kill her for advocating better education for girls. The 20-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner met with prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in Islamabad, having been escorted from the airport under tight security. Pakistan’s information minister, Maryam Aurangzeb, and senior government officials were also present at the meeting. Opposition leader Imran Khan‘s party welcomed her return as a sign of the defeat of extremism in the country. Read more Malala and Apple team up to help at least 100,000 girls into education However, Ms Yousafzai was unlikely to travel to her home region of Swat in north-western Pakistan due to security threats against her, a relative and security sources said. Ms Yousafzai was just 15 but already known for her activism when Taliban gunmen, in October 2012, boarded the school van in which she was riding and … [Read more...] about Malala Yousafzai returns to Pakistan for first time since Taliban assassination attempt
Malala Yousafzai makes emotional first return to Pakistan since Taliban shooting
News / UK and world by Press Association March 29, 2018, 2:19 pm FacebookTwitterLinkedInWhatsAppEmail Sign up to our Daily newsletter Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai has made an emotional return to her native Pakistan for the first time since being shot in the head by Taliban militants in 2012 for speaking up for women’s education. Within hours of touching down amid tight security on Thursday morning, Ms Yousafzai, 20, and her family were given a warm personal welcome home by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. Her voice broke and she wiped her eyes during a brief tearful speech on national television, in which she switched between English and the Pashto and Urdu languages. She said: “I am very happy and still can’t believe that this is happening.” Ms Yousafzai, who now lives in the UK where she was airlifted for treatment, said: “Today is the happiest moment of my life. I always dreamt of returning to my … [Read more...] about Malala Yousafzai makes emotional first return to Pakistan since Taliban shooting
Nobel Winner Malala Visits Pakistan First Time Since Attack
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai made her first visit to Pakistan since she was shot by Taliban militants in 2012 near her home in the northern Swat Valley.Yousafzai met with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi in the capital Islamabad on Thursday, his office said in a statement. Local television showed the education activist leaving Islamabad airport in the early hours of the morning amid heavy security for what is expected to be a four-day visit. An agenda for her trip hasn’t been published due to safety concerns.The 20-year-old became the first teenager to win the Nobel Peace Prize four years ago and is currently studying at the University of Oxford. While traveling to school by bus in October 2012, she was shot in the head in retaliation for her campaign for girls to be given equal education rights in the conservative country, defying threats from militants in her hometown of Mingora.The bullet struck just above her left eye, grazing her brain, and Yousafzai … [Read more...] about Nobel Winner Malala Visits Pakistan First Time Since Attack