SWAT/ PESHAWAR:
The ideology of hate has proven that it will target anything that comes in its way – even if it is a 14-year-old girl.
In a harrowing incident that shocked the nation on Tuesday, three armed men intercepted a van carrying schoolgirls, identified their target and then shot her, point blank.
Their target: iconic child activist and National Peace Award winner Malala Yousafzai.
An outspoken critic of the Taliban and vociferous proponent of female education, Yousafzai won international recognition for highlighting Taliban atrocities in Swat with a blog for the BBC three years ago when militants, led by radical cleric Maulana Fazlullah, burned girls’ schools in the valley.
Yousafzai was 11 when she started writing the blog in late 2008.
On Tuesday, she was on her way back home after sitting for a midterm examination paper, when the gunmen attacked and critically injured her. She is currently in critical condition. Three of her friends were also injured.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying Yousafzai criticised the group, and called her a ‘Western-minded girl.’ In a chilling warning, TTP’s spokesman said that there would be follow up attacks if she survived.
As condemnations and expressions of shock and outrage poured in from all quarters, doctors in Peshawar battled to keep her alive.
Van ambushed
According to details, three armed men intercepted the van carrying Yousafzai and other female students near Sharifabad area of district Swat.
The armed men asked about Yousafzai, said Usman Ali, the driver of the van while talking to reporters.
“The man who stopped the vehicle signaled to his other armed accomplices that Yousafzai was inside. Another armed man went to the back of the vehicle, and started firing inside,” Ali said.
Yousafzai and her three friends –– Shahnaz, Kulsoom and Shabnam –– sustained injuries.
She was initially rushed to Saidu Hospital, where Medicinal Superintendent Lal Noor said that, despite head injuries, Yousafzai was in stable condition.
He said a bullet is still inside her body but added that Yousafzai could talk, and answered his questions.
She was shifted via helicopter to Combine Military Hospital (CMH) Peshawar where a team of senior doctors completed her medical examination, and stated her condition as critical.
“We have thoroughly examined her, she is in critical condition. The bullet travelled from her head and then lodged in the back shoulder, near the neck,” a doctor in CMH told AFP, requesting anonymity.
“The next three to four days are important for her life. She is in the intensive care unit and semi-conscious, although not on the ventilator,” he said.
TTP claims responsibility
Taliban spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP that his group carried out the attack after repeatedly warning Malala to stop speaking out against them.
“She is a Western-minded girl. She always speaks against us. We will target anyone who speaks against the Taliban,” he said by telephone from an undisclosed location.
“We warned her several times to stop speaking against the Taliban and to stop supporting Western NGOs, and to come to the path of Islam,” he said.
“This is a clear a message for the rest of the youth as well. Whoever is found following Yousafzai, will meet the same fate,” Ehsan said, adding the TTP will conduct follow-up attempts if Yousafzai survived this time.
The 14-year-old received the first-ever national peace award from the government last year, and was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize by advocacy group KidsRights Foundation in 2011.
Condemnations
Condemnations flew in from all quarters, including the president, prime minister, the opposition chief, even the US State Department.
President Zardari strongly condemned the attack, but said it would not shake Pakistan’s resolve to fight militants or the government’s determination to support women’s education.
The president also directed that Yousafzai be sent abroad for medical care.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain, who lost his only son to militants, termed Taliban’s act ‘cowardice’ and called for a sweeping military offensive against all militants in northwest Pakistan. “A team of neurosurgeons is examining her condition and they said there are 70% chances that she will survive,” Hussain said at a late night press conference on Tuesday. The minister asked the nation to pray for her life.
Appeal for prayers
Yousafzai’s father, former Swat Peace Jirga spokesperson Ziauddin Yousafzai, made an appeal to the nation to pray for her recovery.
“She is a daughter of the nation, and represents the country’s female folk. I request the nation to pray for her recovery,” Ziauddin said.
District Police Officer (DPO) Swat Rasool Shah told The Express Tribune that an FIR of the incident has been registered, and a number of suspected persons have been arrested in search operation in different areas of Mingora. (With Additional reporting by Zulfiqar Ali in DI Khan and Hassan Ali in Peshawar)
Published in The Express Tribune, October 10th, 2012.
(Read: Attack on Malala Yousufzai)
COMMENTS (59)
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not sure how relevant this comment will be, but to all those who have ever wondered what Jihad really is. Malala is practicing the greatest form of it possible. Her actions and struggle are what Islam considers Jihad.
@Maria: If the taliban are Indian assets then why Pakistan hesitates to take them on unless they really think of them as pakistani assets. There is an old saying, raise no more devils than you can lay down. Pakistan raised one too many. Your blind hatred of India clouds your judgement. It's in India's interest that all pakistanis get educated and stop the cycle of hate fueled by ignorance.
@harkol @gp65
I was responding to the Taliban spokesmans claim, as reported in the article, that Malalas actions are against Islam. Just saying that Malalas actions are more Islamic than the Talibans
I totally agree, it does not matter that she is Muslim, it would not have mattered if she was Hindu, Ahmedi, or whatever. What mattered was that a fellow human being was harmed for no good reason.
The nation is divided,half of them support taliban for their misdeeds.They must not get any let up,locate them and kill them instantily.Bomb them with F.16.
@ maria Blaming india is not solution of all our problems. We creatd all problems ourselves. If u have any wind regarding indian involment then u must rais voice by using diffent legal forums.
Malala will survive InshaALLAH. President should also send the other three friends of malala abroad, who were injured as well. They also are daughters of nation.
why cant just locate their location..they keep on admitting attacks from undisclosed location. I think technology is this much advanced that one can easily identify them... they are sick coward people... my prayers and support are with Malala..
Aviator: It shouldn't matter if Malala is islamic or not. She is one of the bravest youngsters, and has such clarity and proficiency in thought & speech. She has done in her short life - what majority don't do in a life time. i.e. Work for others, stand up for what is right and be brave and show grace under fire.
It is not everyday a Pakistani moves me to tears. She did.
In our society, we are not allowed to discusss religion. Islam is a complete way of life.We have mixed culture with religion. If tribal traditions not allow women to get education, their men are justifying their actions with a cover of Islam.Forcing your way of Islam on others is totally incorrect because there is no "Jabar" in Islam. Such incidents make Pakistan as an extremist state where nuclear weapon is unsafe; very easy to judge the aim behind such incidents and the agenda being fulfilled on the name of religion by Taliban. Raise your voice and don't leave religion to illiterate thekadars of Islam.
Only the naive are shocked. Wake up, this is going to be the norm in the days to come...
The game is simple, Its all done to give reason for drones and a head-start to operation in Waziristan. Well done US!
Shocked!!! in tears. How can one raise arm against innocent young girl child. Where cud you find in prophets and sahaba`s time raising arms during wars against unarmed children and elderlies?????
im in favor of starting pograms to hunt down these disgusting taliban
The nation and people which can not protect it's heroes has little life. think
Non Muslim are targeting good muslims in an Islamic state, why are the Loud speakers of all Mosques not calling to all muslims to declare war against these infidels.
Thank you Jinnah for creating Pakistan. Otherwise, we would have been in a similar situations back here in India.
After seeing all these and the current situation of Pakistan, I feel my grandparents and great-grandparents took a bold and great decision by staying back in India. The condition of Muslim girls are much, much better compared to situation over there.. At least, they can go to school without fearing of any Taliban kind of group.
@Maria: are you retarded? taliban are the 3rd rate barbaric scumbags, our army fought against these people in kashmir and you think we will now support them.
May God's wrath teach Taliban a lesson!
Imran Khan said that there are no Talibans in the area, and then this incident happened. We should re think and consider other facts as well.
It's the law of the jungle in Pakistan and it seems that only the uneducated and "most religious" can survive here
Well at times i feel imran khan is the only person who may be able to tackle this taliban mess. All politicians have failed to counter them. Even military operations are having no affect. Our country has become very polarized
I think this is what happens when wild animals are bred to attack a neighbor. They finally bit you.
However, this is hardly a wake up call. This is simple an insignificant event in the whole series of events which constitute one major change in Pakistan - the downfall.
Way to go Taleban. You've shamed us again.
“She always speaks against us. We will target anyone who speaks against the Taliban,” he [Taliban spokesman] said.
Is this why there are not many in Pakistan who openly speak against Taliban? Unless silent majority thinks Taliban (student of Islam) are following the teachings of Koran and Mohammad.
What kind of cowards would attack a 14 year old girl. She has more guts than all those Taliban combined because she dared to take them on. May Allah bless her and grant her speedy recovery. What kind of animals are we dealing with disguised as humans??
I hope this incident proves to be a nail in the coffin where such savages are put.
Imran Khan needs to condemn this in clear words so must other religious parties. This is a test to see where they stand.
first time in life i feel ashamed of being pakistani, may heart is crying to see footages of poor girl, now after this if even the single person in our nation have sympathy for these cowards and barbarians then God save our country!
@Aviator: "Malala is Islamic and a Muslim"
What if she was a Hindu or an Ahmadi - would you have justified shooting her then?
By still not condeming taleban Imran seems to be still scoring political points. I think i am either voting for mqm or ppp.
Could some one explain for my benefit how a young naive girl was allowed to constantly issue statements against talibans when the country top leaders refrain themselves from doing so, in my opinion talibans as well as the custodians of this young unfortunate girl are equally responsible for this tragedy.
She is the hero that Pakistan needed.
But its the Taliban extremists and their apologist cowards it deserves.
Shame on you Pakistan. I am lost for words.
wake up call.
@Jibran: You're still looking for explanation? I think they've said enough to show whose side they're on!
@Aviator: Operation Gladio, look it up. It was NATO/CIA that targeted Italian children in Europe not too long ago. You think they somehow mended their ways?
"Nation Shocked!" --- come on, it can't be shocked by things like this.
We need some insensitive guys to create a movie, a cartoon, or even an innocent girl to tore up a few pages of the holy-book to be shocked and ask how could they.
@SomeoneFromSomewhere: When you Indians top funding anti state cowards like the TTP who come in from Afghanistan after being supported by India - only then you should talk. These anti state cowards are attacking children to please their foreign masters but Pakistan will defeat them. That's why they can only do cowardly things like attack unarmed girls in their own kind of sick pooja.
@Jibran: Are you mad?? You think a man like Imran Khan would stand with these mad men. Please be serious.
Full fledge military operation to start very soon in Waziristan ... You all are going to support it .... remember flogging of a little girl before prior operation and now a murder attempt on another innocent girl ...
you all bholaay log !!!! It is the game of kings, puny pawns !!!!
Baycharee Malala was just a qismat ki maree, got entangled in this web ... May Allah grant her a speedy recovery ...
If this incident does not become Pakistan's 9/11, nothing will. If such a coward and dastardly attack on an unarmed innocent education loving fourteen year old girl does not create a groundswell against Taliban, nothing will and the nation is doomed.
No matter how corrupt and incompetent the present government may be, they have at least stepped forward to condemn this heinous and barbaric act. Some thing that Taliban Khan (Formerly Imran Khan) would never muster up the courage to do.
This is the time nation should ask Imran Khan, Shareefs, Fazul-ur-Rahman and all other so called religious parties appeasing and justifying Taliban's cowardly barbaric acts saying they are doing in retaliation of America that,, "Are you with us or with them" ?
May God bless her with health! She is a ray of hope a beacon in the dark long night.
Shame on you lazy people of Pakistan....its now or never. Fight back to these monsters else your country will be worse than Afganistan. And yes....I am saying this in spite of being an Indian sitting in Unites States of America!!
Pakistani nation as a whole has to rise against these Talibans and uneducated extremist mullahs to save Pakistan,
People there is more to this attack. we need to think why at this time? why not before she is around for 4 years now. Why Now????
This nation is truly lost
“She always speaks against us. We will target anyone who speaks against the Taliban,” he [Taliban spokesman] said.
An innocent 14 year old girl is braver than the Sharifs, Imran Khan, and Chaudhary Iftikhar combined.
We deserve an explanation from PML-N and PTI if they stand with the nation or these barbarians, who want to destroy our way of life. So, far both of these parties are in a race to appease the terrorists.
An extremely outrageous, condemnable, and cowardly act.
The Taliban are cowards. Doesn't take much of a man to shoot a helpless 14 year old girl. I agree with the first comment, Where are the Imams of this supposedly "peaceful" religion condeming this act? Where are the citizens of Pakistan condeming this? If it was a Westerner that did it there would be rioting and murders. Guess the majority of the people of Pakistan agree with this kind of violence. That is so very sad and pathetic.
@Aviator: They are part and parcel of TTP.
she is one of the best amongst us. for all those who doubt our nation, we have people like her that display enormous courage to stand so true for our basic rights. i hope she survives and rises once again as a true champion of our nation's desperate desire for human rights. my thoughts with her, her family and friends.
It is so sad, we the Pakistani- American community is praying for her recovery. May God gives you the strength to come back to the nation .
Unless the scholars and Imams condemn what the Taliban have done, we will continue to see more killings, death and destruction. Its time to take back the dialogue on Islam from the hands of the Taliban.
Malala is Islamic and a Muslim, unlike any of these Taliban. Where are our scholars and Imams coming out to condemn the actions of the TTP?