Special visit: Zardari lifts Malala’s spirits with tribute visit
President Asif Ali Zardari paid a visit to peace icon Malala Yousafzai at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, United Kingdom, on Saturday.
The 15-year-old activist was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by the Taliban in Swat on October 9.
According to a press release issued by the president’s office, President Zardari, accompanied by his youngest daughter Aseefa Bhutto, paid the visit to inquire about Malala’s condition and also to express solidarity with her and laud her courage.
The medical director of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Dr Dave Rosser, informed the president that Malala was on the way to full recovery.
On the occasion, the president said the nation’s spontaneous response to the cowardly attack on her and her friends demonstrated that the people of Pakistan rejected extremism and militancy.
Pakistan is proud of Malala and her schoolmates Shazia and Kainat, he said, adding that the government was determined to equip children, particularly girls, with education.
Malala expressed her gratitude to the president and Aseefa for visiting her and said that her entire family and the people of Swat were grateful to the government for the prompt arrangements for her evacuation and subsequent treatment at best hospitals in Pakistan and in the UK.
She also said that former premier Benazir Bhutto was her role model and she would endeavour to follow in her footsteps.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 9th, 2012.
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MJ: UPA-001: XII: 2012-13 23rd December 2012 To Smt Sonia Gandhi Chairperson of United Progressive Alliance 24, Akbar Road New Delhi – 110011 India Subject: Safety of Women and their Status in Society Dear Madam, The recent gang rape in Delhi is indeed a subject of concern wherein the wide protests across the nation have pushed forward the desired action against the offenders. Although the work is still far from complete as the trial shall take its own time to be followed by appeals and thus the entire issue shall get cooled down during the long period. This is not a question of such an incident having taken place in the national capital of this country but, a problem that remains existent in the Indian society and such incidents happen from time to time in various parts of this nation. One can say that a rape a day is normal in this nation. Indeed a hundred percent full proof strategy is next to impossible as there are various constraints that exist. Moving on to a wider connotation from rape to the issue of crimes committed against women in India wherein rape is just a single kind of crime. There are cases of molestation in public places and at work places as well as within the house, harassment for dowry, eve teasing, human trafficking etc. The most unfortunate side of the story is that rapes that are generally brought to public notice are those that take place in a secluded spot say an old dilapidated building, a bus or vehicle, or in a hotel however there are cases that go unreported wherein a girl or lady is subjected to a forced sexual intercourse by the other male members of her family be it her family or that of her spouse. In addition sexual exploitation of women at the work place goes on unabated and in many instances women allow a leeway in order to get a good increment or promotion in their job or are financially too weak to resist to such advances. The problem is rather serious but has perhaps never got the desired attention from the government. There is therefore a need to enact stringent laws to check crimes against women. As regards rape and human trafficking the most stringent of all punishments would be life imprisonment accompanied with a chemical castration which is essential to inculcate a fear in the minds of the offender as well as those who have similar intentions. Also the culprit having completed his sentence in prison should continue to live with that guilt that should be enhanced with the chemical castration which may lead to suicide too and a rise in the cases of suicides but this aspect needs to be overlooked if this is able to bring down the cases of rape and human trafficking in the country. Similar laws are needed to check the other kinds of crime against women. However an essential deterrent needed is to ensure that the laws are not misused at any point of time to harass men or to be used as a tool for blackmail. Police Reforms that has been lying in the files but not been implemented too is essential and this department needs to be given a free hand to tackle the offenders involved in any kind of crime committed against women. The police as an institution needs to be made more effective hence a greater autonomy needs to be given to the policeman to tackle crime especially that which is committed against women. Besides India the subject of women concerns the entire globe but in most international summits the issue remains dormant or is given the lowest priority. I request your kind self to ensure that this issue of crime against women; which is happening not just in India but in many other nations of South Asia and the world; is discussed during these international summits. The Non-Aligned Group of nations (NAM), the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Association of South Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Commonwealth of Nations (CWN) are the forums where problems regarding women and crimes committed against them should be discussed and the other nations too must work on similar lines to check crimes against the women in their country. There is a dire need to change the perception about women in this country and the other nations. Talking of India where even today women are treated like a piece of property or a physical object and does not enjoy the status given to them under the Constitution of India. The honour killings in certain states of India is yet another kind of crime committed that needs to be checked. The status of the Indian woman unfortunately remains that of a doormat which needs to be changed if the nation has to move forward and become one of the leading nations of the world. I conclude awaiting your view/opinion in this regard and India’s initiative in this regard. Thanking you with sincere regards. Yours sincerely Manoj Joshi
@Mehjabeen And pray what is wrong with having Obama and Benazir as role models. Obama managed to become President of a country, in which he would have been a slave 2 hundred years ago ( Can you imagine a Hindu or a Christian becoming President of Pakistan in the next hundred years through popular vote?). Benazir was a courageous woman who managed to become PM of a dominantly misogynistic country. She came back to Pakistan even when her life was in danger. Both Obama and Benazir of course have their flaws but who hasn't. There is nothing wrong in having them as role models rather then the irrational, illiterate and illogical Mullas.
@Atif Ali: IT IS CORRECT
@Hammad: HAMMAD YOU ARE RIGHT
@Amer: AMER YOU ARE VERY RIGHT.
@Manoj Joshi India: THANK YOU MANOJ.
@True Picture
You seem like a Lal topi fanboy.The meeting you are referring to was no secret meeting. Malala herself asked the Americans for help in building schools. If anything, her father did a good job by making this girl confidant and letting her speak for herself. Malala has always been open and upfront about her position, and her father have supported her all the way. There is no comparison between Afia and Malala. Afia was convicted in court and proven guilty (even her husband admits she was associated with terrorist groups), Malala stood up to the savages known as Taliban and fought for her rights.Your should be ashamed of yourself because your views are hateful, ignorant, intolerant and misogynistic. Go live under the Taliban rule as a woman for a month and see what it's like before you open your mouth again to speak against this little innocent girl.
@s shah: the same media which said Iraq has WMD? the same loveable US govt of yours which invaded Iraq & killed millions of innocent people, which is still going on, on the basis of lies? No sir I'd rather not trust them :) @Atif Ali: FYI Malala was brought into all this media lime light by her own father who worked for some NGO, this started during Sawat operation & why US envoy used to call on both of them in their meetings in Islamabad ???. As for Dr Afia, its quiet amusing to see people like you towing the line of their media & telling us Pakistanis that a woman can beat few agents without any weapons, great story :) She is a woman too & she was kidnapped, along with her unborn son at that time, which is still missing to this day!
Find the comparison between Aafia and Malala shocking and completely outrageous.
One is an innocent soul crusading for the education of girls and paying the price for it while the other was the wife of one of the most notorious terrorist(KSM) and was on the run in Afghanistan!
is there any other president in this entire world or may be univrese whose childern enjoy the same perks as the president do...other than that of pakistan? secondly please stay away from Malala she is a bigger leader than you mr zardari
@Hammad, @ A. Nabi Baloch: I agree with you 100 percent. @True Picture: you don't trust Western media or world media, but are the "jihadi" websites (which you seem to be getting your news and opinions from) to be trusted ? Don't they also have an axe to grind?
true picture: very well said. i agree with you.
@A, Nabi Baloch: Are you Pakistani/Muslim? & no I don't trust articles which support US stance & their media propaganda. were there any WMD in Iraq Mr US lover? because many articles were written about that lie too :) @Hammad: Why should I be ashamed? She is a Muslim & a Pakistani as well! & lets see when will Malala return back home since her whole family has shifted to UK now :) & you believe in US stance that this women went to Afghanistan to kill US agents all by herself without any weapon, really???
@True Picture:
Try to do little research on Dr. Aafia Siddiqki, you may not have the same opinion after reading some of the articles on Aafia.
President Zardari also ought to pay a vist to the Baluchis who are the victims of radioactive pollution (they got nuked under the guise of conducting "tests") and offer them assistance. He probably thinks that this problem will disappear into thin air.
Obama? Benazir Bhutto? This girl sure knows how to pick her role models! belch
@True Picture: Aafia Siddqui was a US citizen, and was suspected by their country's intelligence of being a terrorist. She also swore an oath to protect the United States. There is no comparison with Malala. You should be ashamed of yourself.
A good photo op for the President and his family but there is no doubt in my mind that Malala is the real role model for Pakistani girls. She went to school under the guns of the buchers and they tried to kill her but she's still wants to carry on her studies. Bravo!
How about visiting drone affected people someday Mr.President?
The gesture of the President of Pakistan is most touching and should motivate girls like Malala to fight against religious orthodoxy.
we want more aid to cure malala.
This news would make the rightwing hyenas to go at both Malala and elected govt once again.
Role model eh? Ban gayi hai yeh bachi abhi se politician :-)
What about Dr Afia and here missing son? Isn't she a woman when you talk about rights for women? same goes for all those so called liberals who talk about rights for women, only those women are important for which US gives approval? Shame on all of you