Major political parties on Saturday agreed that Malala Yousafzai should return to Pakistan only after the government ensures foolproof security to her. Malala, respected at home and abroad for speaking out against Taliban atrocities and for advocating girls' education, was airlifted to a hospital in Britain on October 15. The Taliban have vowed to kill her if she returns.
A spokesperson of the Awami National Party (ANP) said that the government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) would provide full security to Malala Yousafzai and her family after they returned from the UK. When asked to verify if the government had offered the girl's father a job in the Pakistani High Commission in the UK, the spokesperson said that the decision to return or stay "will be taken by Malala's family".
He said that the provincial government "cannot force the family to return". The government, he said, had offered security to Malala before the attack, which her family refused and "we are ready to provide security if she returns after her treatment". Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) secretary information Shafqat Mehmood said that Malala's life was "more important than anything else". "We are worried about her security, as she is still on the Taliban hit-list," said Mehmood, adding that she should not come back and put her life in danger.
Mehmood said that people were more concerned about Malala's safety and not about ensuring her return. "If the government thinks that it can ensure fool-proof security to Malala and her parents and siblings, she must come back. Otherwise, her life is more important to us than anything else," he maintained.
However, there are conflicting reports that Malala's parents may prefer to stay in the UK because of security concerns. But recent reports suggest that Ziauddin Yousufzai, Malala's father, was reportedly looking at different options though he had earlier announced that he will never seek exile.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Siddiqul Farooq said that Malala had become a symbol for girls' education in the country and that was why the entire world has recognised her efforts. He said that Malala should come back to pursue her mission for which she had rendered sacrifices. About providing security to Malala upon her return, the PML-N leader said that it was the responsibility of the government to protect the girl and her family. "This (security) is an important issue which must be taken seriously," he said.
Meanwhile, people from different walks of life also expressed concern about her security, saying under the present circumstances, nobody felt secure in Pakistan and Malala, as an icon, should not risk returning home. Fakhrun Nisa, a college student insisted that Malala should not come back, citing poor law and order situation in the country. She criticised the government failure to maintain its writ despite tall claims. "Malala is a victim of poor law and order in the country...scores of other girls like her have also lost their lives and my advice to Malala is that she should stay there at least for some years," she said.
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