WASHINGTON: Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot on a school bus by the Taliban last October for campaigning on the education of girls, held a meeting with US President Barack Obama in Washington.
Obama and his wife Michelle welcomed Malala and hailed for her “inspiring and passionate” work on behalf of girls in Pakistan.
The 16-year-old Malala was a front-runner for the Nobel Peace Prize announced on Friday, however the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) won that.
In a statement after the meeting, Malala said that she was honored to meet with the US president, who is a Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
”I thanked President Obama for the United States’ work in supporting education in Pakistan and Afghanistan and for Syrian refugees. I also expressed my concerns that drone attacks are fueling terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts, and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani people. If we refocus efforts on education it will make a big impact,” she said.
Malala called for greater cooperation between the governments of the United States and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the White House said in a statement that “The United States joins with the Pakistani people and so many around the world to celebrate Malala’s courage and her determination to promote the right of all girls to attend school and realize their dreams.”
“We salute Malala’s efforts to help make these dreams come true.”
