Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai and Indian child rights campaigner Kailash Satyarthi have received the Nobel Peace Prize awards. She became the youngest-ever recipient of a Nobel Prize.
Malala Yousafzai at the age of 17 was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen in October 2012 in Swat in Khyber Pakhtunkhawa where she used to live, for campaigning for girls’ education. The Nobel committee described both laureates as “champions of peace”. Yousafzai said she was there to stand up for the rights of forgotten and frightened children, and raise their voice rather than pity them. Both received their awards from the chairman of the Norwegian Nobel committee, in the presence of King Harald V of Norway. In her speech, Malala Yousafzai said the award was not just for her: “It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change. I am here to stand up for their rights, raise their voice. It is not time to pity them. It is time to take action so it becomes the last time that we see a child deprived of education.”
Yousafzai said she was dedicating the prize money to the Malala Fund, “to help give girls everywhere a quality education and call on leaders to help girls like me.” “I will continue this fight until I see every child in school,” “I feel much stronger after the attack that I endured, because I know, no-one can stop me, or stop us, because now we are millions, standing up together.” “If I can serve my country best through politics and through becoming a prime minister, then I would definitely choose that” she added.
Addressing the ceremony, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Peace Committee described the laureates as champions of peace. He lauded the efforts of both the recipients against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education. It is pleasing that President of Pakistan Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif have congratulated Pakistani Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai. President in his message said the nation has proud of Malala Yousafzai. He expressed his pleasure on Malala for receiving Nobel Prize. Prime Minister in his message has said Malala is Pakistan’s envoy for peace in the world. He said the dream of Malala regarding girls’ education shall be realized. Chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf Imran Khan also congratulated Malala.
It would be great effort of the Prime Minister form the policies to uplift the education ratio of girls in a country where still a phenomena exists that girls have nothing to do with the education and they are bound to do chores at home. At the time of Taliban brutality hundred of schools of girls were destroyed to implement their ideology that girls are not allowed to go to school which obviously has nothing to do with the religion as Islam insists to get education no matter what for both boys and girls. Malala stood tall and kept retreating his will to go to school and get education despite all the threats by the terrorists. Ultimately terrorists got afraid from a teenage girl who wanted to study and attacked her and shot her. But today world has acknowledged her sacrifice for the education and peace. She has become the youngest to take Noble Prize. It is indeed a special occasion for the fellow countrymen and we all must condemn the elements who always find something to criticize. Malala deserved the appreciations and she received it, we as a nation must stand tall to uplift the education in our beloved country.
