KABUL, Oct 13: Schools in Afghanistan opened on Saturday with special prayers for the quick recovery of a Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head, in a move officials said was meant to show solidarity with her.

The Pakistani Taliban shot Malala Yousufzai, a teenage children’s rights activist, in the head on her school bus on Tuesday, to avenge her campaigns for the right to education in the militants’ former stronghold of Swat.

The shooting of the 14-year-old activist was denounced around the world.

“To show sympathy to Malala Yousufzai around 9.5 million students all over the country in 15,500 schools and education centres offered prayers for her quick recovery,” education ministry spokesman Amanullah Iman said. “The students also expressed their solidarity to their sister (Malala) because the attack on her was an attack on education,” he said.

“Malala is just a girl and student like us, she shouldn’t have been shot,” Freshta, a 10 grade pupil said.

The show of solidarity to Malala comes two days after armed men attacked a girls’ school in relatively peaceful Bamyan province.—AFP

Afghan students pray for Malala’s recovery