ISLAMABAD, Oct 8: “It is the first day of its launch, but the book has already received a great response,” said an assistant at Mr Books, a bookshop in Super Market F-6.

She was referring to a book written about Malala Yousafzai titled I am Malala with the subheading ‘The girl who stood up for Education and was shot by Taliban’.

The book has been authored by Christina Lamb, a British journalist, and was launched all over the world on Tuesday. The same day, the book also hit stores throughout Pakistan as well.

The book has 276 pages, and according to the official, is being sold for Rs595 in Pakistan. A large number of people have already purchased the book while students who could not afford to purchase the book visited the shop and went through the contents, she added. “Being a woman, I also feel pity for Malala and wish her fame and success,” she added.

A citizen, Abdul Razzaq, who had visited the shop, said he wanted to see what Malala thinks about Pakistan.

“Although the book is written by a British journalist, there must be some input from Malala. I can easily guess whether she will ever return to Pakistan or not,” he said.

Malala Yousafzai was born in 1998.

She is known for her activism for education and women’s rights in Swat Valley where Taliban have banned girls from attending school.

On October 9, 2012, Malala was shot in her head and neck and was sent abroad to the United Kingdom for treatment.

Christina Lamb, the author, was twice asked by the government of Pakistan to leave the country in 2001. The government alleged that Ms Lamb had tried to book a seat using Osama Bin Laden’s name for a flight from Quetta to Islamabad.

This was supposedly done to show that Osama had traveled within Pakistan in 2001, but Ms Lamb has denied these charges.