Sunday, July 14, 2013
Kabul (BNA) President Hamid Karzai congratulated Malala Yousafzai and her family on the occasion of her 16th birth day anniversary.
Earlier, returning home from school, Malala Yousafzai an educational activist was attacked by the Taliban last year in Mingora area of Swat valley in Khyber Pashtunkhwa province, sustaining serious injuries to her neck and head and flown to Britain for treatment.
While addressing the United Nations on celebrating her 16th birthday anniversary, Malala said that terrorism and war deter children both in Afghanistan and Pakistan from going to school. She added that the people of Afghanistan were suffering from extremism for decades.
Malala Yousafzai said, “One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world” and extremists are afraid of this change that education could bring in to the society.
President Karzai said that education in both Afghanistan and Pakistan suffered seriously from terrorism, adding that students, teachers and education workers are targeted for many years by terrorists on both sides of the Durand Line.
Calling the attack on education an act by the enemies of Islam, the President said, “Elements, who oppose progress and development of the peoples on the two sides of the Durand Line, commit such crimes.”
President Karzai once again stressed, “Using terrorism and extremism as a political tool is in the interest of no country. Afghanistan and Pakistan must join hands in sincerity to seriously fight against terrorism and extremism which are considered a common threat for both of the countries.
