Future prime minister: Make way for Malala

Hundreds watch live broadcast of Nobel Prize distribution ceremony .

PESHAWAR:

There are songs of peace and tales of love which are penned to inspire people of all kin. And then there are the words of Malala Yousafzai which resonate with one and all—the warrior waiting to go into battle to the girl with big dreams dancing in her eyes to the grown men and women who are watching their worlds wither away in poverty and war.

As Malala accepted her Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway Wednesday evening, the auditorium of Peshawar Press Club reverberated with loud cheers. Hundreds of people gathered to watch with pride as the 17-year-old showed the world that a girl from Swat can take three bullets, pick up the pieces of her life and forge a path for global peace and education shoulder to shoulder with world leaders and her peers.



Members of civil society organisations and political parties organised a ceremony at the press club to celebrate Malala’s win and watched a live broadcast of the Nobel award ceremony.

Hanging on to every word of Malala’s acceptance speech, the audience clapped and chanted slogans of Long Live Malala Yousafzai and slogans against terrorism and religious extremism.

Awami National Party MPA from Swat Syed Jaffar Shah, National Party’s Syed Mukhtar Bacha, Qaumi Watan Party’s Mohammad Jan Gigyani as well as civil society members Professor Khadim Hussain, Arshad Haroon, Rukhshanda Naz, Sangeen Khan and Tariq Hassan lauded Malala’s win as they addressed the gathering. The win was not just for Malala but for all Pukhtuns who are victims of militancy, they said.

In his brief yet comprehensive speech, Professor Khadim Hussain said, “This joint Nobel Peace Prize to Malala and India’s child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi could lead to cultural changes in the whole country.”

According to Hussain, the joint prize could help resolve tensions between India and Pakistan and also help the world to realise that Pukhtuns are peace loving people.

The speakers lamented that while the rest of the world was celebrating Malala’s win, both federal and provincial governments remained silent, revealing their indifference to militancy.

The participants adopted a resolution condemning the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government for rejecting a resolution presented in the provincial assembly congratulating the teenager from Swat.

From the government

When contacted, Minister for Information and Higher Education Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani told The Express Tribune he appreciated Malala’s struggle for education. Ghani said the PTI government is also prioritising education, especially for girls.



In response to a query, Ghani said a discussion had been had with the chief minister to organise Malala Day but due to the political scenario, the event could not be finalised.

Meanwhile, senior minister Shahram Khan Tarakai congratulated Malala, saying her sacrifices will be remembered for a long time.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 11^th, 2014.