Malala gets first National Peace Award

She has been awarded for her courageous and outstanding services for the promotion of peace under extremely hostile conditions in Malakand Division, the PM office said Tuesday.The Prime Minister also gave cash amount of half a million rupees to Malala Yousufzai.The Prime Minister congratulated Malala and her parents for her courageous stand and reaching out to her classmates to carry on with their studies despite then prevailing situation which was fraught with dangers.On request of Malala Yousufzai, the Prime Minister also directed that an IT campus be set up in Degree College for Women, Swat, in order to provide higher and computer education to the female students.It may be recalled that Malala Yousufzai encouraged her fellow students to continue their studies despite the threats from militants before and after the military operation in Malakand Division.It may also be added that Malala was one of the selectee out of 148 children from all over the world for the International Peace Prize held in South Africa. She was shortlisted among the top five contenders for the prize.Malala is the first recipient of the National Peace Award for Youth and in future, as announced by the Prime Minister, the Award will be named as “National Malala Peace Prize” which will be given to the outstanding youth, both girls and boys, below of 18 years of age.Cabinet Secretary Ms Nargis Sethi said that Malala was the role model for the youth of Pakistan who rendered such a unique role for the promotion of education in such tender age. --Online