Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai yesterday returned to Pakistan, saying tearfully that it was “a dream” to be home for the first time since she was airlifted to Britain after being shot in the head by a Taliban gunman more than five years ago.
The 20-year-old was overcome with emotion as she made a televised speech from the Pakistani prime minister’s house in Islamabad, wiping away tears as she spoke of the beauty of her native Swat valley.
“Always it has been my dream that I should go to Pakistan and there, in peace and without any fear, I can move on streets, I can meet people, I can talk to people, and I think that it’s my old home again ... so it is actually happening and I am grateful to all of you,” she said.
Photo: AP
She had arrived unannounced overnight with her parents under tight security.
Pakistanis awakening to the news she was back in the nation flooded social media with messages of welcome, with many hailing her bravery — but others accusing her of a conspiracy to foment dissent.
Malala is widely respected internationally as a global icon for girls’ education, but opinion is divided in Pakistan, where some conservatives view her as a Western agent on a mission to shame her nation.
Residents of Swat said they were happy to see her return.
“I had not imagined that she would ever come [back],” said Rida Siyal, a student who said she had been a “good friend” of Malala’s before the shooting. “[She] defeated the dark force of fear. We are delighted to see her back.”
Ahmad Shah, who said he was a friend of Malala’s father, called her a “symbol of courage,” adding: “She should have returned home much earlier.”
Malala became a global symbol for human rights after a gunman boarded her school bus in Swat on Oct. 9, 2012, asked: “Who is Malala?” and shot her.
She was treated for her injuries in Birmingham, England, where she also completed her schooling.
The youngest ever winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, she has continued to be a vocal advocate for girls’ education while pursuing her studies at the University of Oxford.
Malala met with Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi early yesterday and later took questions from an audience.
“We have amazing women,” she told them in comments broadcast on state television, pushing for more education and critical thinking.
She also called on Pakistanis to come together, stressing unity for the betterment of the nation.
However, among the messages of welcome were pockets of intense criticism from some Pakistanis, including hardline Muslims as well as members of the conservative middle class who support education for girls, but object to airing the nation’s problems abroad.
One leading Pakistani journalist, Hamid Mir, issued a plea for restraint when talking about her visit, warning that negative reactions “will damage Pakistan’s image.”
Other Pakistanis echoed his concerns on social media.
“Dear Pakistanis! Malala is not your enemy. Your enemies were those monsters who shot her point blank on her way to school,” Twitter user Shahira Lashari wrote.
Her schedule for the four-day trip is being closely guarded.
“She will be meeting several people here, but her itinerary is not being disclosed due to security reasons,” Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Muhammad Faisal said.
WHAT WAS ALL THAT FOR? Jaw Shaw-kong said that Cheng Li-wen had pushed for more drastic cuts and attacked him, just for the outcome to be nearly identical to his bill The legislature yesterday passed a supplementary budget bill to fund the purchase of separate packages of US military equipment, with the combined amount of spending capped at NT$780 billion (US$24.8 billion). The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their legislative majority to pass the bill, which runs until 2033 and has two main funding provisions. One was for NT$300 billion of arms sales already approved by the US for Taiwan on Dec. 17 last year, the other was for NT$480 billion for another arms package expected to be announced by Washington. The bill, which fell short of the NT$1.25
Taiwanese shares yesterday posted a record daily gain of more than 1,700 points to close above 40,000 points for the first time, led by large-cap semiconductor stocks such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and MediaTek Inc (聯發科) amid optimism about the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. The TAIEX ended up 1,778.51 points, or 4.57 percent, at 40,705.14 after moving between 39,228.39 and 40,755.52, while the New Taiwan dollar closed up NT$0.038 at NT$31.610 per US dollar, ending three consecutive sessions of declines. Turnover on the main board totaled NT$1.007 trillion (US$31.9 billion), with foreign institutional investors buying a net NT$66.98 billion
A former television news host and six military personnel — active and retired — have been indicted on espionage charges, Kaohsiung prosecutors said yesterday. Lin Chen-you (林宸佑), a former CTi News host and YouTuber, last year allegedly made videos at the direction of a Chinese agent criticizing the Democratic Progressive Party’s recall campaign, the Ciaotou District Prosecutors’ Office told a news conference in Kaohsiung. He allegedly received 4,325 tether coins for the videos from an unidentified person surnamed Huang (黃), believed to be an agent of a hostile foreign power, they said. Lin, also known as Ma Te (馬德), has a show named
NON-INTERFERENCE: The US called Taiwan a trusted and capable partner, while an African Union leader urged nations to reflect on respect for sovereign choices Taiwan is a “trusted and capable” partner of the US and Taipei’s global relationships, including with Eswatini, provide significant benefits, the US Department of State said of President William Lai’s (賴清德) trip to the southern African kingdom. Lai arrived in the former Swaziland on Saturday on a surprise visit after a planned trip last month was canceled when Seychelles, Mauritius and Madagascar denied overflight permission for his aircraft due to Chinese pressure. “Taiwan is a trusted and capable partner of the United States and many others, and its relationships around the world provide significant benefits to the citizens of those countries,
RSS