Though many religious groups and politicians are maintaining criminal silence, but average citizens along with social activists in Peshawar have hit the streets, raising slogans against the Taliban attack on young Malali Yousafzai, who is battling with death in a Peshawar hospital.
ON TUESDAY when young Malala Yousafzai was targeted and shot in the head and the neck by Taliban in her hometown in Mingora area of Swat Valley of Pakistan, it shocked the whole world in disbelief. Although the bullet in her neck has been removed, people in Peshawar are yet to come to terms with the horrific incident.
They protested in large numbers peacefully holding up placards and slogans that had Malala's face and messages like 'Shame on you Taliban.' Various political leaders were seen at the bedside of the 14-year-old girl who had the courage to stand up for her rights and speak her mind. Her family said that they have been threatened a number of times. The Taliban have said that the girl will be harmed again if she survives.
Malala had been contributing to BBC's Urdu service under a pseudonym since a military operation was started to flush the Taliban from the picturesque valley. She started writing three years before and used to highlight the fear of Taliban among the people of Swat and how girls were denied education due to their diktats. As was reported by the telegraph.co.uk, the Taliban owned the responsiblity for the attack on Malala and said that 'she was secular and was going pro-Western in her campaign'.
A country now used to violence was shocked at the callousness of two people boarding a school bus and shooting girls. However, this time it seems that they are not keeping quiet as they have hit the streets condemning the dastardly attack.
