Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai will visit Pakistan this weekend to attend a high-profile international conference focused on advancing girls’ education in Muslim communities, officials announced on Wednesday. The two-day summit, taking place on January 11-12 in Islamabad, will feature Malala as one of the keynote speakers.
This marks only the third time Malala has returned to her home country since she was attacked in 2012 by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for advocating girls’ education. The event will provide her with a platform to emphasize the importance of educational opportunities for young girls across Muslim-majority nations.
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The conference, organized by Pakistan’s Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, will bring together over 150 dignitaries from 44 countries, including ministers, ambassadors, and scholars. Representatives from international bodies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank will also be in attendance to discuss challenges and opportunities in promoting education equity.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the event, reaffirming Pakistan’s dedication to gender equality in education. The gathering will conclude with the signing of the Islamabad Declaration, a document symbolizing the global community’s shared commitment to empowering girls through education.
One key agenda of the summit is addressing the ongoing ban on girls’ education by the Taliban in Afghanistan. While the issue has not been explicitly stated in the conference’s agenda, insiders believe the joint declaration will oppose the Taliban’s restrictions on female education.
