Tributes were paid to Malala for her courage to stand against militancy and to raise voice for children’s right to education. Speeches, poems and songs by young students, poets and singers were the highlights of the event where participants resolved to fight against forces of darkness and condemned those who deface Malala.
“Even today the girls are deprived of their basic rights not only in Pakistan but also in developed countries,” told Malala Yousufzai in a speech specially recorded for the event in Pashto. She gave a strong encouragement to women to do struggle for their rights.
“I want to see [every] girl of the country to have books and pen in her hands and going to school,” Malala said. She said that the change in our society can come only if we continuously struggle for it.
She said that not only in Pakistan but in developed countries women’s rights are being ignored and if we want to get proper opportunities for all, honour and equal rights, we have to continue our struggle for it.
Malala added no ‘cruel’ force or hurdle can stand in our way if we stand firm in securing our rights. “It is time that the woman becomes doctor, engineer and even the prime minister of the country,” she concluded, emphasising on the constructive roles which women can play.
Children from Meritorious Central College, Bacha Khan School, Jinnah Public School, Forward Public School, Khpal Kor School and Ghazali Model School attended the gathering.
Rahim Khan Rahim, a senior Pashto poet in his poem condemned all those who doubted the achievements of Malala and maligned her name on different pretexts and did not even celebrate the Nobel Prize she won for the country.
Rahim in his poem also asked the audience about unity. “If the Pakhtun were united today, they would never be in such situation,” he said in one of his verse in Pashto.
Children of one of the schools also explained through skits how girl schools were destroyed by militants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA).
Bakhtiar Khattak performed his song ‘Toba da tooray, toba la janga’ while young singer Ali Baba Khan sang his debut song Khudaya sanga zindagi da pa de Khawra which was well appreciated by the young gathered at hall.
“Malala is not an individual but a mindset,” said Mian Iftikhar Husain, general secretary Awami National Party (ANP).
He criticised the K-P government for not taking a concrete stand against militancy. “They don’t even have courage to make the militant angry,” said Iftikhar.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 19th, 2014.
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