Pakistani girl injured with Malala gets British visa
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LONDON: A Pakistani schoolgirl injured in the Taliban attack against Malala Yousafzai last year has been granted a British student visa after receiving death threats in her home country, it emerged on Monday.
Shazia Ramzan, 15, had a joyful reunion with her friend Malala when she flew into Birmingham airport in central England on Saturday night, their first meeting since they were shot on their school bus on October 9.
Both girls are being supported by the office of Gordon Brown, the former British prime minister who now serves as United Nations special envoy for global education.
In a brutal attack condemned the world over, Taliban gunmen shot Malala at point-blank range as the bus travelled through northwest Pakistan's Swat Valley.
She was targeted because of her work promoting girls' education, but two other girls were also injured, including Shazia, who suffered wounds to the neck and shoulder.
Malala was flown to Britain for surgery on her head injuries and returned to school in Birmingham in March.
Her friend will now have a chance to complete her studies at an undisclosed school thanks to a scholarship and support from charities including Brown's A World At School initiative.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to study here and try to become a doctor,” Shazia said in a statement issued by A World At School. “I wanted so much to stay in Pakistan and complete my education but constant threats made this impossible.”
Malala has become a global symbol of the campaign for the right of girls to an education and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
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On DawnNews
Comments (50) Closed
Jul 02, 2013 01:32am
I would I could get death threats from them and get a visa like her, OK, now I am moving to Swat or Waziristan, UK here i come
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Jul 02, 2013 01:35am
i dont know
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Jul 02, 2013 02:18am
If that the way to get UK Visa,soon you will see entire Pakistan willing to get injured by extremists' bullets.
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Jul 02, 2013 02:43am
This is good news. May Allah help the daughter of Pakistan, Shazia, in attaining what she aspires to be. And shame on our law enforcement agencies and our courts for not being able to catch and convict even a single terrorist.
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Jul 02, 2013 02:56am
It's done to avoid the possibility of the drama being revealed.
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Jul 02, 2013 06:53am
Thanks to British Government.
Although terrorism in Pakistan is a Pakistan problem but because it is a fall out of Pakistan Afghan policy against USSR in seventies in support of western governments, it is moral duty of the west and middle east to help Pakistan to over come this menace. West and the Middle East should permanently or temporarily give visas(and support them financially) to such persons and their families who dare to stand against terrorism. Lives of government functionaries and public who cooperate with them in apprehending culprits and getting them convicted in courts is in great danger.
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Jul 02, 2013 08:01am
What about other girls in the bus who were traumatized by the terrorist attack? Are they going to get a chance to study in UK too?
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Jul 02, 2013 08:15am
I would imagine that the reconciliation between Islam and educating women is very hard to make
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Jul 02, 2013 08:36am
We should all be thankful to Mr.Gordon Brown for rescuing Shazia Ramazan from the atrocities of Pakistani Taliban and other similar groups of criminal minded few individuals. I am very sure that Shazia will excel in school in UK and become a honorable member of the society.
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Jul 02, 2013 08:48am
Hopefully it does not become a tool in Pakistan to get to Western country...may be it has...:(
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Jul 02, 2013 09:55am
Great. So now her family is also moving over to Britain.
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Jul 02, 2013 10:52am
Another one befools the fools.
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Jul 02, 2013 11:11am
so ! she got what she wanted.
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Jul 02, 2013 11:40am
Good luck to both of them. May you prosper wherever you are.
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Jul 02, 2013 11:48am
Have you visited Afghanistan? The area under Talibans has the most number of schools than rest of Afghanistan! I'm no supporter of talibans, but what I know is, even IF talibans shot Malala, the reason cannot be promoting women education. And if it was, they cannot be Taliban. i would recommend you learn about an organisation before talking. Thank you!
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Jul 02, 2013 11:49am
i am so disappointed that my comments where I simply asked what about thousands of young boys effected by drones? did not get published. So I guess we all are supposed to hail Britain and its fantastic charity work.
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Jul 02, 2013 12:00pm
This was nothing but a pre-written drama to degrde Pakistan. I think we should not keep our eyes close on the reality of drone attacks in which 1000 of innocent childrens, womens and innocent people died, and attacks are done with the consensus of Great Britian and all of top civilised nations of world. Yes, surely the incident of Malala is condemnabble.
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Jul 02, 2013 12:50pm
@Yawar:
I sure am glad to know that Shazia Ramazan has been granted British visa, and I wish her best of luck in leading a peaceful life and acquiring good education in the UK, However, I have a question from of those Pakistanis with a certain mind set. What is this "daughter of Pakistan" or "daughter of nation" business? They have been resorting to this mantra by calling Afia Siddique as "daughter of our nation". Both of these persons are their individual father's daughter. And that's it.
Ashraf
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Jul 02, 2013 01:08pm
muslims should learn lessons from good gesture to any faith/religion from the followers of christianity
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Jul 02, 2013 01:53pm
@Amir:
We would all be thankful if Mr Brown can rescue the entire nation from the atrocities of all the criminals and terrorists. Helping one or two individuals does not make any difference to the people of Pakistan, it only boosts the western nation that they are helping the people in distress, which becomes headline news and then fades away. Later on all muslims are labelled as terrorist, until proven otherwise.
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Jul 02, 2013 02:30pm
Entire Pakistani nation is under threat of Pakistani Taliban and other terrorists, so we all of us should appeal for UK visa for better future and security. will Gordon Brown help us?
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Jul 02, 2013 03:14pm
@Yawar:
Actually, shame on us.
Our judiciary and law enforcement are just a reflection of who we are as a whole.
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Jul 02, 2013 03:34pm
Thats great, for the two girls,
But for Pakistan, millions of other girls in the villages, are still without proper education and face continuos barbarity and injustice.
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Jul 02, 2013 06:03pm
@Akhtar Hussain:
I wonder if you live in KPK or know how it is these days to live in Mangora. My guess is you are not and you don't know anyone who does.
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Jul 02, 2013 06:46pm
this malala thing is getting out of hand. the west is milking it for whatever its worth. stupid people.
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Jul 02, 2013 07:25pm
We need possible solutions for Taliban. Pakistan Army must take serious Army operation against extremists and eliminate them from the roots. Any political or religious party support Taliban should be banned and thief leaders should be punished.
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Jul 02, 2013 07:59pm
Is Pakistan a sattelite of UK? The police cant protect 200 million Pakistanis, does that mean we should export 200million people to UK too?
This is crazy.
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Jul 02, 2013 08:24pm
Why did we even get freedom from Brits? We are thrilled if we get their visa, We go there for schooling, we go there to get our pictures taken, we are proud to speak their language and for our politicians it is their first home. During the last 30 years I lived in 40 different countries, from richest western and gulf nations to poorest African and south American and I have yet to seen a country as contradictory as Pakistan. No matter who says what for a real white a Pakistani is simply a "Paki" or a "Boy". Why for this girl a UK visa is a big deal?
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Jul 02, 2013 08:40pm
What does that say about our character and strength as a nation? Basically we have failed to protect our most vulnerable.
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Jul 02, 2013 08:49pm
I am so very sad to see the negative comments about the gesture from the UK. Since when have we become so arrogant, rude and ignorant that we cut the same hand that feeds us?. Even if the UK supports one child, it is one child less on the mercy of these terrorist Talibans. Rather than saying Thank you, we prefer to show our attitude. What a shame.
Why can't we send the army to each & every house in Pakistan and get rid of the guns and knives. Each and every one of them rather than begging the UK for visas?.
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Jul 02, 2013 09:03pm
@syed :
I really can't understand this mentality of begging. We should be given this and given that. Is that all we are good for?.
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Jul 02, 2013 09:33pm
I always wonder why the Arab countries do not show this gesture and it is always the Western countries......
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Jul 02, 2013 10:30pm
@zafar Iqbal:
and start muslim patrol ...
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Jul 02, 2013 10:38pm
@Gerry D'Cunha:
hahaha, are you a standup comedian, whose war are these Muslim fighting, the Pakistan death toll up to date is now over 50000, it is people like should be thankful to Pakistani people who are keeping peace for your countries. now say thank you to Pakistan
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Jul 02, 2013 11:16pm
@Gerry D'Cunha:
UK does not follow Christianity - at least not as a state policy.
It just follows good humanity.
Religions are rule-based set of practices, and have nothing to do with humanity.
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Jul 03, 2013 12:07am
I don't think anyone would like a bullet in his/her head to get a chance to go to UK. So my fellow Pakistanis, please stop making a fool of yourselves by suggesting this was pre-planned.
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Jul 03, 2013 12:24am
@Talal :
not true
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Jul 03, 2013 01:05am
@Ehsan:
nice brother
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Jul 03, 2013 01:30am
This only furthers the western agenda against islam. Millions of people are suffering but the Gordon camp have been very selective A) To portray Islam and Pakistan in a very negative way B) To use the girls to push a secular understanding of Islam and the british education. This is why the pakistani have a inferior complex and admire the west. But I tell you living in UK there is nothing to admire about this country because everything they have is due to colonisation and collonising your minds. Muslims need to work for there own political solution based on our Aqeedah.
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Jul 03, 2013 11:25am
@zafar Iqbal: Or UK should take over Pakistan.
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Jul 03, 2013 11:23am
Shame on all those who write negative comments
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Jul 03, 2013 11:37am
@Yawar:
Yawar bhai - harek sentence mein yeh allah ko kyon le kar aate ho. Do you realize this precisely IS the problem with Pakistan today. Aise bhi kuch jyada PAK to bacha nahin hai.
It's time humans held humans accountable and leave the god alone :)
- peace-
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Jul 03, 2013 02:06pm
@Talal :
schools under taliban ? what a joke. we have seen enough evidence of their ruthlessness, its really hard to believe into what you are saying.
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Jul 03, 2013 03:22pm
Hopefully these girls can focus on their education and spearhead the movement for womens education back in Pakistan. We need more Malalais!
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Jul 03, 2013 04:11pm
God protect you Malala and Shazia, the brave Pathan daughters. Talibans are cowards.To hell they go.They have failed to do any harm to Musharraf.They attack only week and common people.They must be exterminated at any cost.
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Jul 03, 2013 04:39pm
Sab toopi drama hai - This is another one of those cheesy drop scene of a low budget soap ...
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Jul 03, 2013 06:36pm
May God bless you, sister !!
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Jul 03, 2013 06:51pm
@syed :
happy dreaming
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Jul 03, 2013 07:03pm
Another addition to the political stunt of the West. There are so many innocent girls who are being killed by drones and Talibans every single day and yet nothing has been done. What a double standard? Malala and Shazia will be brain washed very well and one day West will use them against Pakistan and Islam. Malala is not a hero as West portrayed her in the media but the truth is that she is a victim of her own father's greed of fame who used to write the statements for Malala in order to speak against Talibans in the out of control of Pakistan media.
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Jul 03, 2013 07:06pm
@Barry:
I understand your comments what I fail to understand is if you dislike west so much why are you still there and feeding your self on their hand out Leave and go back to where you came from.
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