PESHAWAR: The civil society activists on Tuesday urged the government to own Malala Yousafzai’s global cause for education and invest more in ‘education than bullets’.

They also called on the provincial assembly to pass the pending resolution to honour the young Noble Prize winner.

The call was given during a function organised at the Peshawar Press Club to mark Malala Day, whose theme for the year is ‘books not bullets.’

The Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network in collaboration with Khwendo Kor, MEN UNiTE, TNC, and Education Watch KP/Fata had organised the event.

Malala Yousafzai was shot in Swat by the Taliban militants in 2012 for campaigning for the girls’ rights to education.

She later moved abroad and continued her advocacy. In 2014, she had won the Nobel Prize.

Rukhshanda Naz, a women rights activist, said the government needed to invest more in the girls’ education than just printing slogans on currency notes.

Civil society asks assembly to pass pending resolution to honour Malala Yousafzai

She said Malala was not only working for the girls’ education in Swat and Shangla but also in other provinces including Sindh and was also a global supporter and voice of girls’ education

“Malala is an inspiration for millions of people to speak against that thinking against girls’ education,” said Qamar Naseem, coordinator of MEN UNiTE.

He said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly should immediately adopt resolution to honour Malala Yousafzai, which had long been pending.

“Girls in Pakistan are often denied opportunities for education,” he said.

Qamar Naseem said the government should invest in education, especially the girls’ education.

Zar Ali Khan of Tribal NGOs Consortium said it was encouraging to see that a small movement, which began for the education of girls in Swat valley, was spreading all over the world.

He said Malala had been working globally to spread girls education, which should do the entire country proud.

“Malala is supporting girls’ education through Malala Fund but it is not propagated as there are still elements around who could hurt children studying in those schools,” he said.

Maryam Bibi of Khwendo Kor said Malala was not an agent of the West.

“She (Malala) is not under anyone’s influence. She is voice and symbol of all those supporting girls’ education.

“No child should have to die for going to school. Nowhere should teachers fear to teach and children fear to learn,” she said.

Journalist Shamim Shahid said back in 2008, Malala as a little girl was part of peace movement launched by Idrees Kamal.

“She (Malala) is the best image of a Pakistani and Pakhtun girl. She is supporting education of girls globally including in her hometown Swat and Shangla despite certain people spreading rumours and hate about her,” he said.

The journalist said Malala could have a good life with all the money she had but she chose to spend it one girls’ education. “We need to accept the good that she is doing and stop weaving conspiracies about her now,” she said.

Published in Dawn ,July 15th, 2015

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