Malala is ‘pride of Pakistan’: Sharif

Girls and boys of the world should take lead from her struggle and commitment, Sharif said in his felicitation message.

Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday congratulated teenage girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai for winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

Malala, 17, was shot in the head in an attack by Pakistani Taliban militants in 2012 in Mingora town of northwest Swat region. The militant outfit was opposed to her campaign for girls’ education.

She has since become a global celebrity after winning several prizes, capping them with the prestigious 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.

“She is pride of Pakistan. She has made her countrymen proud. Her achievement is unparallelled and unequalled. Girls and boys of the world should take lead from her struggle and commitment,” Sharif said in his felicitation message.

Malala is the youngest person to win the prize, which she shared with Indian children’s rights activist Kailash Satyarthi.

She was also congratulated by Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, Information Minister Pervaiz Rasheed, former President Asif Ali Zardari, Opposition leader Imran Khan, TV anchor Hamid Mir and several others.

There are reports of celebration in her hometown of Mingora after local media broke the rare good news for the people of the militancy—hit region.