Malala Yousafzai’s homecoming: A flight to Pakistan by an American ‘agent’

She is the youngest Nobel Laureate and only the second from Pakistan. At 20 she is also a celebrity who addressed the Canadian Parliament last year. An author already, her second book ‘We Are Displaced’ is coming out in September this year. A story of refugees, the book will draw on her own experience with accounts she gathered from her visits to refugee camps. The activist for female education, she hopes to highlight ‘humanity behind the statistics’. The Oxford University student’s first book, “I am Malala” is a best-selling memoir. When she returned to Pakistan for a short, four-day visit last week after six years, however, she was given a welcome by the Government of Pakistan befitting a visiting head of state. The red carpet was rolled out and a helicopter was put at her disposal and flew her and her family to Swat Valley where she had grown up before she was shot in the head and on her face by the Pakistani Taliban in 2012. She and her two friends survived though. Malala was flown to England in a state of coma and responded to treatment. Not much is known about her two friends who were also injured. But presumably they also survived. Why were they not feted then? Could Malala possibly be an American agent? An agent of the decadent West? A large section of Pakistanis seem to believe that she was shot because she was acting as the agent of the West. She is blamed for bringing a bad name to Pakistan. People wonder why the other two girls who were shot did not receive as much publicity as Malala. Fundamentalists and conservative elements in Pakistan were critical of the Government for allegedly giving undue importance to the young woman. Amidst the raging public debate, the Pakistan Government arranged for a special felicitation at the PM’s residence. The capital’s who’s who were present on the occasion. The home-coming proved to be overwhelming as she wiped her moist eyes. “I don’t cry often,” she laughed.

Malala: I have seen a lot

“I am now 20-years-old, but I have seen a lot over the course of my life. From growing up in Swat it was such a beautiful place to then seeing terrorism and extremism from 2007 till 2009. And then seeing how many difficulties women and girls face in our society, and how we can fight against those challenges.” “And then being attacked, leaving my country...Everything was happening itself, I could not control anything. If it was my call, I would never have left my country. The doctors performed surgery on me and saved my life. But then for further treatment I had to go out and continue my education there. But it was always my dream that I return to Pakistan. And I want to be able to move freely in the streets and meet and talk to people peacefully, without any fear. And [I hope that] it will be like my old home just as it was.” “I still can’t believe I am here. Perhaps if I spend more time here, it will sink in... it is literally a dream,” she confided.

Pakistan’s fight against terror

“You were a 13-year-old girl when you left and now you are the most famous citizen of the country. The entire world gave you honour and respect… It is your home. Now you are not an ordinary citizen, your security is our responsibility.” Prime Minister Abbasi took the opportunity to dwell on the fight against terrorism. “After your departure, we have fought a difficult war in which 6,500 soldiers, 25,000 policemen, paramilitary forces and civilians embraced martyrdom. Terrorism has been eliminated and still, we are fighting a war against terrorism. Set aside what the world says about us, Pakistan is fighting the largest war against terror. More than 200,000 soldiers are engaged in the war,” he said. The Oxford student, who has said that she wants to run for prime minister one day, added: “It is my plan to return to Pakistan after completing my education because it is my country and I have equal rights on it like any other Pakistani.”

Who is Malala?

A gunman had boarded her school bus on Oct 9, 2012, and asked “Who is Malala?” and when she replied, “I am Malala”, shot her. The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) accused her of anti-Islamic activities and of “smearing” the militant group. She has lived in the UK since then. She was shifted from Pakistan to a hospital in Birmingham in a precarious condition after she had sustained a bullet in her head. Her homecoming was assailed by militant groups, in a way justifying the security she was accorded. When she wept, militants described it as melodrama. Malala, they ruled, had no love for Pakistan and her tears were crocodile tears. Pakistan’s I & B minister Mariam Aurangzeb accompanied her on her short visit to Swat. There the 20-year old stepped into her ancestral home for the first time in six years, called on her erstwhile neighbours and school friends and softly told one of them that she would return and next time there would be no security. Her critics say that she will one day become a leader in Pakistan because she has been chosen by the West to lead the country. She would be a puppet and would be used against Pakistan. But on this visit, the 20-year old did not meet a single political leader, said nothing that could be remotely described as controversial. She had her classes to attend, she said by way of explanation for her short visit.