Malala to visit Pakistan for education summit

Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai will be traveling to Pakistan at the weekend to attend the International conference on girls’ education in Muslim communities, officials said here on Wednesday.Malala will be one of the keynote speakers at the two-day conference scheduled for January 11-12 in Islamabad.This will be Malala’s only third visit to Pakistan since she was flown to Britain for life-saving treatment in October 2012. She visited Pakistan in October 2022 to travel to her hometown for the first time since she was attacked.Malala was just 15 years old when the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shot her in the head over her campaign for girls’ education.One of the organizers of the conference said that Malala confirmed her participation in the conference and would deliver a keynote address, highlighting the importance of girls’ education in Muslim communities.The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training will host the International Conference on “Girls’ Education in Muslim Communities: Challenges and Opportunities.”A statement issued here by the foreign office said the global summit aims to address the challenges and opportunities in advancing girls’ education across Muslim communities worldwide; foster dialogue; and find actionable solutions to address the challenges. The conference will provide an ideal platform for high-level discussions and collaborations.The event will be inaugurated by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, who will deliver the keynote address at the opening session and reaffirming the nation’s commitment to promoting girls’ education and gender equity.The event will bring together over 150 international dignitaries, including ministers, ambassadors, scholars and academia from 44 Muslim and friendly countries, representatives from international organizations including UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank. Speakers and panelists will share transformative success stories, showcasing innovative approaches to advancing education equity.The conference will conclude with a formal signing ceremony of the Islamabad Declaration, outlining the shared commitment of the Muslim community to empower girls through education, paving the way for inclusive and sustainable educational reforms, and a brighter future for generations to come.One of the agendas of the conference is to discuss the current ban on girls’ education by the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Although there is no explicit reference to the Afghan situation, sources said the joint declaration would certainly reject the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education.Sources said Pakistan extended an invitation to the Afghan Taliban government for the conference. However, there is no confirmation whether they will send a delegation.Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have remained strained for the last several months over the terrorist hideouts inside Afghanistan.