KARACHI: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai retur­ned to Pakistan on Tuesday to meet with flood victims, just over a decade after she was shot and injured by militants in Swat.

The timing of Ms Yousafzai’s return is bittersweet, as it coincides with an uptick in incidents of violence in her hometown — with large numbers protesting the resurgence of militancy there.

This is only her second visit to the country since she was flown out for life-saving treatment in October 2012.

She landed in Karachi alongside her father Ziaud­din Yousafzai on Tuesday, two days after the 10th anniversary of the attempt on her life, and is expected to travel to areas devastated by unprecedented monsoon flooding today (Wednesday).

The visit is a bid to “help keep international attention focused on the impact of floods in Pakistan and reinforce the need for critical humanitarian aid”, her organisation, Malala Fund, said in a statement.

Earlier, Malala Fund issued an emergency relief grant to the International Rescue Committee (IRC) to support flood relief efforts and “protect the wellbeing of girls and young women in Pakistan”.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2022