Malala is a drama staged by the US: Jamshed Dasti

MNA says US government wants to disrupt government peace talks with the Taliban through Malala.


Owais Jafri October 13, 2013
Jamshed Dasti speaks at a press conference in Multan. PHOTO: ONLINE

MULTAN: Member of National Assembly Jamshed Dasti said on Sunday that teen activist Malala Yousufzai's meteoric rise to fame was nothing more than a "drama" orchestrated by the United States to disrupt the government's efforts to initiate peace talks with the Taliban.

Dasti, an independent candidate reportedly pursuing membership in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, was talking to the media about Malala's nomination for the Nobel Prize during a press conference in Multan.

He said the US never wanted Pakistan to negotiate with the Taliban, and was using Malala to defame the Taliban and Islam.

Dasti concluded by saying the nation and the media should "stop this drama" and concern themselves with the real issues of Pakistan.

The MNA's words mirrored the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) sentiments when the young girl missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize.

TTP central spokesman Shahidullah Shahid had said the 16-year-old had done nothing to deserve the Nobel, which went to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) for its work to rid the world of chemical arms.

“We are delighted that she didn’t get it. She did nothing big so it’s good that she didn’t get it.”

“This award should be given to the real Muslims who are struggling for Islam. Malala is against Islam, she is secular,” he had gone on to say.

The TTP had shot Malala in the head on her school bus on October 9 last year for speaking out against them, and brazenly added that they would do it again.

Ironically, in a recent BBC interview, Malala said she backed dialogue with the Taliban.

Anti-Malala sentiment has reportedly gained momentum in Pakistan since her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. A recent article on the phenomenon in the New York Times stated, "The reaction seemed to stem from different places: sensitivity at Western hectoring, a confused narrative about the Taliban and a sense of resentment or downright jealousy."

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AGENCIES

COMMENTS (117)

Abid P. Khan | 10 years ago | Reply

@LOK: "Dasti for PTI chairman." . Dasti for life time boss of UNESCO.

LuvDat! | 10 years ago | Reply

@true pakistani: Bro you look very smart! And you realy have touched the throbbing nerves of the education world of Muslim. You may be the person then who can tell; Why no Muslim leader or countrytalk about those issues from Palestine to Pakistan and from Burma to Saudi Arabia? And what made you think Malala should be above all our rich and powerful leaders & exrremists of Islam to leave her neighborhood kids and pick-up men's job who should already be doing just that?

Hasn't she done enough to even comeout of brave Muslim's AK47 attack that almost paralyzed her if not killed her, who are still bent on beoadcasting their threat to kill her after proudly claiming their fatal attack on this 15 year old school girl innocently sitting in her bus to school.

What were they teaching at that school, how to kill Talaban? Shame on you! Go teach others what you know and make a difference in a child's life instead using your education to defame education and its teachers.

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