Though Malala Yousafzai, the wonder girl who fought against tyranny and suppressive rule of terror for the right of education for women in her native town of Swat, could not win the Nobel Peace Prize 2013, she won rare political support on Friday here in Pakistan as for the first time since her shot to prominence, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan lauded her services beside Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain. This was the first public support by Imran Khan for Malala since the attack on her in 2012. With the MQM’s symbolic support to Malala, PTI’s support means a lot as Khan’s party swept the recently held polls not only across her native town of Swat but the party also won for the first time across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province and has formed a coalition government in the conflict-hit province where Taliban time and again unleash a reign of terror and hold sway in and around the province.. Malala was fired at by a group of Taliban along with her two colleagues and survived after receiving a bullet in her skull for raising her voice against the tyranny of Taliban. She used to write about the ordeal of the people of Swat for a foreign media outlet with a pen name of “Gul Makai”. Soon after the attack by Taliban on Malala, Khan like other politicians, had condemned the attack. However, since then, there was no word by Khan for Malala despite a series of awards for the young girl. Khan, who is termed by his opponents and critics as “Taliban Khan” and a major Taliban apologist, is a vocal supporter of holding a dialogue with Taliban militants who literally rule the province where his party has formed the government. In his statement, PTI Chairman Imran Khan expressed disappointment over brave young Pakistani Malala Yusafzai not receiving the Nobel, but said that even her nomination was an honour for all Pakistanis.
NAWAZ LAUDS MALALA: PM Nawaz Sharif called Malala Yousafzai the pride of the nation. In a statement, the prime minister said that Malala was an asset for Pakistan. “Malala Yousafzai has made the nation proud at every forum…she is a role model for the young generation,” he said.
