Malala visits hometown after 13 years, wishes to “return again and again”

SHANGLA: Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai visited her hometown, Barkana, in Shangla district on Wednesday for the first time in 13 years since leaving the country after surviving a deadly assassination attempt.

“This place is very dear to my heart and I hope to return again and again,” she wrote in a post to her official Facebook account.

Malala was shot by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in 2012 when she was a 14-year-old schoolgirl for her activism for girls’ education.

Two years later, she received the Nobel Peace Prize for risking her life to fight for girls and children’s rights. She is youngest ever Nobel winner and the second Nobel laureate of Pakistan.

Since being shot in the face by terrorists, she returned to her country of origin only a handful of times and spent her time in the United Kingdom.

Her most recent visit to Pakistan was in January when she came to participate in a global summit on girls’ education in the Islamic world.

Now she again visiting Pakistan along with his parents and husband.

She went on to say in his Facebook post that “as a child, I spent every holiday in Shangla, Pakistan, playing by the river and sharing meals with my extended family. It was such a joy for me to return there today — after 13 long years — to be surrounded by the mountains, dip my hands in the cold river and laugh with my beloved cousins.”

“I pray for peace in every corner of our beautiful country. The recent attacks, including in Bannu yesterday, are heartbreaking. I am sending my condolences to the victims and their families and offer my prayers for the safety of every person in my homeland.”

She arrived by helicopter in her native village Barkana, Shahpur accompanied by her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, her mother, and her husband Aseer Malik, Shangla police said.

Malala made a visit to her ancestral home and met with relatives. She also visited her maternal family.

According to DIG Malakand Sher Akbar Khan, the Nobel laureate also visited the Malala Yousafzai Foundation School, established by her in 2018 to impart free education to girls. Education activist Shahzad Roy briefed her about the facilities provided by the college.

She spent ample time in the school, inspecting classrooms, and interacting with students and teachers. On the occasion, she spoke to the girl students about the importance of modern education, urging them to study hard to pave the way for success and brighter future.

After the short visit, she returned to Islamabad.