Nobel winner Malala Yousafzai makes emotional return to Pakistan after 2012 Taliban attack
At age 17, Malala Yousafzai became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for her education advocacy
Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai returned to Pakistan Thursday, saying tearfully that it was “a dream” to come home for the first time since she was airlifted to Britain after being shot in the head by a Taliban gunman more than five years ago.
The 20-year-old was overcome with emotion as she made a televised speech from the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad, wiping away tears as she spoke of the beauty of her native Swat valley.
“Always it has been my dream that I should go to Pakistan and there, in peace and without any fear, I can move on streets, I can meet people, I can talk to people.
“And I think that it’s my old home again … so it is actually happening, and I am grateful to all of you.”
She had arrived unannounced with her parents under tight security overnight. Pakistanis awakening to the news she was back in the country flooded social media with messages of welcome, with many hailing her bravery – but others accusing her of a conspiracy to foment dissent.
Malala is widely respected internationally as a global icon for girls’ education, but opinion is divided in Pakistan, where some conservatives view her as a Western agent on a mission to shame her country.
