By Asad Qayyoom Qureshi,
LAHORE: Protests against the barbaric attack on education and peace icon Malala Yousufzai and prayers for her recovery were held across the city on Thursday.
Political and religious parties, non-government organisations and civil society members held protest rallies against Tuesday’s Taliban attack on Malala whereas special prayers were arranged by schools, colleges, mosques, churches and public and private departments.
Leader of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and National Peace Committee for Interfaith Harmony Chairman Yousuf Awan condemned the attack on Malala as an “anti-Islamic” act.
He said that the Taliban are destroying the image of Islam through such cowardly acts, adding that they have been conspiring against Pakistan just for money.
Awan said that sympathisers of the Taliban are equally responsible for “sins” of the terrorists.
Workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also staged a protest in Saddar, Cantt.
Led by Farooq Chishti, protesters shouted anti-Taliban slogans and were carrying a banner reading, “We want our daughters to be like Malala”.
Chishti said the Taliban should be ashamed of attacking a teenage girl, adding that “foreign hands” could be behind this attack.
“The al Qaeda network does not exist in Pakistan only but it is well-established globally,” he said, and urged the government to immediately withdraw itself from the war against terrorism.
Women Workers Helpline also held a protest, which was attended by women and children. The protesters shouted slogans against the Taliban, terrorism and extremism.
Women Workers Helpline Chairperson Azra Shahid said that extremists are against women’s empowerment and the attack on Malala is a proof of this.
Azra said Malala was attacked only because she wanted to do politics in the future and extremists did not want this.
South Asia Partnership (SAP) Pakistan held a vigil for Malala and her injured friends at Charing Cross. They also shouted anti-Taliban slogans and condemned the “heinous crime” against Malala and her friends.
A spokesperson for SAP said that Tuesday’s attack is a “cowardly, cold blooded and barbarian gesture of the Talban who are inhumane and have no mercy even for minors”.
The spokesperson demanded that the government hold a non-partisan inquiry into the incident and take action against those who were involved in the attack.
Mumkin Alliance in a statement also condemned the attack and demanded the government take immediate measures to ensure that perpetrators of this deplorable act are arrested and brought to justice.
It also asked the government to take necessary measures to guarantee the “physical and psychological integrity and security of NGO workers, educationists, girls and women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as enshrined in the constitution”.
It called for steps to ensure “Pakistan fulfils its national and international obligations, in particular, under Article 25A of the constitution ensuring the right to education and under Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women and Convention on the Rights of the Child”.
Peace and Tolerance Alliance, an alliance of human rights organisations and human rights activists, also condemned the barbaric attack and demanded that state institutions, political parties and other stakeholders revisit their policies and stance against extremism and militancy.
Members of Peace and Tolerance Alliance held a special meeting to pay tributes to Malala.
Alliance members said, “We salute the courage and commendable efforts of Malala against violent activities of militant groups who want to stop women and girls from exercising their rights, especially their right to education.”
They said the government should provide best medical facilities to save Malala, adding that those who have attacked her should be apprehended immediately and brought to justice.
Women lawyers from the Lahore High Court (LHC) also staged a demonstration and called for immediate arrest of the attackers. Pakistan Minorities Movement and Bright Future Society arranged prayers for the early recovery of Malala. They said that Christian community of Pakistan would observe a fast on Sunday and special prayers would be held in churches for Malala.
Punjab University Academic Staff Association also rallied in the university against the “cowardly attack” on Malala.
Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Rana Mashood Khan in a statement also condemned the attack, and said that this was not only an attack on “the daughter of nation but also on Pakistan’s education and peace”. He prayed for Malala’s early recovery.
Punjab Teachers Union, Joint Action Committee for Teachers, All Pakistan Private School Management Association and several public and private schools, colleges and universities also held protest rallies and prayers for Malala.
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