Jonaid Iqbal
Malala Yousafzai, 17, became the youngest winner of the Nobel Peace Prize on 10th October last. In 2012, the Pakistani teenager girl was shot in the head by the Taliban for her work advocating for the rights of girls to get an education. She has jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize for her “heroic struggle” for girls’ rights to education with India’s Kailash Stayarthi.
Meanwhile, Malala will formally receive honorary Canadian citizenship this month. Prime Minister Stephen Harper pledged to make Malala Yousafzai, 17, an honorary citizen during his last year’s speech. In a statement, Harper said Yousafzai will visit Ottawa on Oct. 22. She will become the sixth person to receive honorary Canadian citizenship.
Thorbjorn Jagland, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said, “Children must go to school, not be financially exploited.”
Yousafzai came to global attention after she was shot in the head two years ago for her efforts to promote education for girls in Pakistan. Since then, after recovering from surgery, she has taken her campaign to the world stage, notably with a speech last year at the United Nations.
Kailash Satyarthi (born on 11 January 1954) is an Indian children’s rights activist. A graduate in electrical engineering, he founded the Bachpan Bachao Andolan. In 1980, he gave up his career as a teacher and became secretary general for the Bonded Labor Liberation Front.
Leading spokeswoman for girls’ rights to education
Through her heroic struggle, Yousafzai has become a leading spokeswoman for girls’ rights to education, said Jagland.
According to the Nobel committee, at 17 she’s the youngest ever peace prize winner.
Yousafzai said that the award is a “great honour for me,” and that she’s honoured to share it with Satyarthi.
“I’m proud that I’m the first Pakistani and the first young woman or the first young person getting this award,” she said in Birmingham, England.
Yousafzai learned she won the award while she was in chemistry class in England on last Friday morning, she said. Yousafzai said she continued to attend classes, and it was a “normal day,” besides teachers and fellow students congratulating her.
“I’m not alone”
She said she considers it an encouragement to continue her campaign and “to know that I’m not alone,” Yousafzai told reporters.
Her award will not mark the end of her campaign to advocate for girls’ education, she said.
“I think this is really the beginning,” she said, adding that children around the world “should stand up for their rights” and “not wait for someone else.”
She said she wants the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan to attend the December ceremony where she and Satyarthi will receive their awards. Peace between the two nations, Yousafzai said, is important for their progress.
The Malala Fund, set up to promote girls’ education, said via Twitter that Yousafzai called the prize “an encouragement for me to go forward. It means we are standing together to ensure all children get quality education.”
This was a welcome signal on both sides to reduce tensions along the Line of Control (LoC) and across India –Pakistan border.
Pakistan, also, opted for peace. A meeting of the cabinet Committee on National Security, held Friday, took the view that war with India in the face of continuing border skirmishes, would not be a suitable option arising of India’s unprovoked shelling, that has now continued unabated since October 1.
Disappointment
A press release issued after the meeting expressed disappointment that India had had not responded to Pakistan’s sincere desire for normalizing relationship with that country, and that Indian action had also disappointed the people of Pakistan and India as well as the international community.
The NSC meeting was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. It was attended by Chairman, Joint chief of staff, chiefs of army, navy and air force, as well as ministers of Defence, Information and Interior, as well as advisor on foreign affairs and national security.
Mr. Sartaj Aziz has been asked to dispatch a letter to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon over Loc violations by India, as well as send special emissaries to five countries to apprise them of India’s violations across the Loc.
Indian violations began this time on first of October. Since then, India has continued to fire unprovoked mortar shells, targeting a few villages, across Line of Control in the Sialkot border, killing 13 Pakistanis. Those killed included women and cattle. This conflict happened at a time when people in Azad Kashmir and Pakistan were celebrating Eid festival.
This started at a time of huge rains and floods in the two disputed sides of Kashmir, and in the midst of the festival of Bakr Eid.
The incident at the LoC has raised enough concern for Pakistan to protest and has forced Pakistan Prime Minister to summon a meeting of the National Security Council today (Friday), in pursuance of call from political parties, who complain of silence from Pakistani leadership.
The United Nations Military Observer Group (UNMOGIP) stationed on this side was requested to inspect places in Azad Kashmir. At the same time, one hears of New Delhi’s reluctance to allow the UNMOGIP on its side to investigate the incident.
India has also accused Pakistan of unprovoked firing at the disputed border, and India also claims that two Indian women were killed and 15 injured from Pakistan retaliating action to silence Indian guns.
Pakistan is in search of a suitable response from India to reduce the tension. Why should India move to divert Pakistan from its desire to have peace with India to pursue its own agenda of development at a time when India’s Prime Minister has just returned from a successful meeting both at the UN as well as with American leadership?
During his visit to UN headquarter and USA, Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi won huge successes in propagating India’s big role among the elite countries of the world. The question is whether the Loc incident would not dent his cherished desire?
Source: Weekly Holiday
