Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stressed the urgent need for Muslim countries to prioritize girls’ education, calling it one of the most important challenges of the time.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day international conference titled “Girls’ Education in Muslim Societies: Challenges and Opportunities”, the premier highlighted the need for large-scale initiatives to address the problem, Express News reported.
The conference held in the federal capital was attended by ministers, dignitaries and representatives from 47 countries and various organisations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to promote girls’ education by mobilizing all resources and taking necessary measures. Emphasizing that education is a basic requirement of any society, he called for collaborative efforts to improve access to education for girls in underprivileged nations.
To highlight the importance of education in Islam, the Prime Minister referred to historical contributions of people like Hazrat Khadija and Fatima Jinnah along with the achievements of Benazir Bhutto as the first female Prime Minister of the Islamic world.
He also praised Malala Yousafzai’s participation in the conference, describing her as a symbol of resilience and determination.
During his speech, the Prime Minister addressed the audience in Arabic and received applause from those present.
Malala in Pakistan for summit
Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai is in Pakistan to attend the International Conference on Girls’ Education in Muslim Societies.
Malala is one of the main speakers at the two-day conference in Islamabad.
This is Malala’s third visit to Pakistan since she was flown to the UK for life-saving treatment in October 2012. She visited Pakistan in October 2022 to travel to her hometown for the first time since she was attacked.
Malala was just 15 years old when the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shot her in the head because of her campaign for girls’ education.
