President Zardari announces $10 million for 'Malala fund'
The "Malala Fund for Girls' Right to Education" aims at raising billions of dollars to ensure that all girls go to school by 2015 in line with United Nations Millennium goals.
Education Minister Waqas Akram signed the agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization head Irina Bokova.
"A young determined daughter of my country was attacked by the forces of darkness," President Zardari said at the high-profile "Stand Up For Malala" event at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.
"We are facing two forces in the country; Malala represents the forces of peace and we are fighting with the forces of darkness, hatred and violence," he said.
The ceremony drew French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, former British premier Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, and the former presidents of Finland and Chile.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and the EU's top diplomat Catherine Ashton sent special videotaped messages of support.
The 15-year-old schoolgirl, who is recovering in a British hospital after being brutally attacked on her school bus on October 9, will herself join the campaign when she is better.
Ziauddin Yousafzai, Malala's father, a former teacher and headmaster has been appointed to help in what Brown has dubbed a new 'Malala Plan' to get all girls into school around the world by the end of 2015.
President Zardari slammed fundamentalists for giving the religion a bad name.
"The first word of the holy Quran is 'iqra' which is ‘read’," he said, attacking the fringe minority of darkness, of hatred, of conflict. "What extremists fear is a girl with a book in her hand," he said.
The UN estimates that 61 million children do not go to school and girls account for two-thirds of this number.
Brown said the initiative, which he hoped would attract "billions of dollars of public subscriptions", also aimed at stopping social evils such as child marriage and violence against girls.
He said he wanted Malala's birthday, July 12, to be designated a day of action each year when children around the world are invited to march, demonstrate, petition and pray for education to be delivered worldwide.
'Daughter of Pakistan'
The National Assembly on Monday unanimously adopted a resolution asking the government to declare Malala Yousufzai as 'Daughter of Pakistan'.
"This House gives great importance and significance to the sacrifice made by Malala Yousufzai for the sake of education. This House, therefore, recommends that Malala Yousufzai may be declared as Daughter of Pakistan," says the resolution.
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$10 million is not the total annual budget of Government of Pakistan on education. Even Wendy Chamberlain ridiculed this generocity in the wake government's miniscule spending on education within the country.. Perhaphs Zardari is going to make this heavy donation out of his swiss bank account.
@ Mahi....dnt put ideas in their head mate...... GEO might end up making a documentary out of it as well...... For the Malala episode, well we have no idea when and how the Goras are gonna use this episode to spread what chaos. In today's world, nothing happens without any reason and the sooner we understand it, the better. U are telling me that a Taliban fired a shot from point blank range directly into Malala's Head and the bullet, went all the way down to her back without killing her?????? lol Sounds like a Hollywood flick to me....either the talib guy was a very very very bad shot or otherwise, Malala might have 2 different brains...... Also, the so called TTP is nothing but crap bullies of CIA working for their interests just like any other CIA agent........... May Allah help Pakistan.
Note: I know you wont publish my comment but please, Pak is our nation, dnt let it slip....
Woah! Re name the country also,Malala ka Pakistan.
Every year after the budget people complain that not much money is being spent on education. When the President finally takes the initiative, I see people disappointed again. Pakistani nation is always unhappy.
Millions of children don't go to school in Pakistan. He should be taking serious steps to ensure that every child in the country goes to school. Instead, look at what he is doing. This is how these con artists operate. They will never address the real issues. All they do is hide behind these cheap gimmicks.
Would Zardari like to explain and define truly,sincerely and honestly that from where these $10m shall be paid in Malala's fund and can Zardari say surely and assuredly and can give guarantee that thus education level and literacy ratio shall increase?Because in Pakistan's budget only 2.5% budget is fixed and spent on the education sector whereas in the other countries this ratio is at least 5% of the total budget...... If Zardari is going to paying this amount from his personal pocket it means and proves that Zardari does have millions of $$$$$ and if from poor and indebted Pakistan's treasury then why only for Malala's fund and why not for ailing and diseased Pakistani education sector/system to increase literacy ratio and to improve education standard in Pakistan to meet and fulfill the requirements of international educational standards?????
@ Amna
This facial asymmetry can be due to facial nerve injury..I hope she gets better without any disability
I am sure Mr Zardari is using his personal Swiss accounts.
This should come from his Swiss account.
I will never ever forgive the Taliban for shooting that sweet girl in the face.
I wish Mr. President do the same act for the poor girl "Syeda Mehzar Zehra Zaidi" who was shot in Karachi on her way to school. His father got dead on the spot in front of her eyes while terrorist shot her too and she is now in ICU and in very serious conditions.
I really appreciated that our Govt. and People of Pakistan Supported "Malla Yousf Zai" .. I wish they will thing the same for this girl.. if its not the case than I am suppose to think that there is a Racism in my country.
Please Read the whole story on following link: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=174974439315740&set=a.123211331158718.38628.100004095563668&type=1&theater
So many ppl dying out of hunger... people suiciding... killing their children... , So many acid victims, so many rape victims... the people suffering from bhatta.... where is government support!!!!!!!!!!!! Man ! Is Malala , the only tragedy happened to Pakistan????????:@
@NAWAZ: Not dad's nor the ex-wife's. It's from 1% money of people who pay taxes in Pk.
Topi Drama !!!
Mr Zardari what about your Sindhi's living under open skies to this day after the flooding? No funds available for them? aren't they Pakistani?
@Jamshed: well the Govt did eventually paid the Ajmer Shariff concerned authority. He donated the money as if it was coming out from his own bank account but it was taken out from government treasury i.e taxpayers money/our money/poor man's money :) & he has repeated the same thing with this fund too which I'm sure will be used up in a non-educational activity.
$10 million OMG zardari it isn't you dad's money if you are generous enough use your own pocket
Great!
It's as if everything was peaceful before Malala.
Thats taxpayer money he is doling out. After the Ajmer incident where he announced a similar amount and never paid up, he should act like a responsible person instead of behaving like Hatim Tai.