Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said today he was appalled to learn that a 14-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl was attacked by extremists for advocating girls’ rights to education in Swat, Pakistan.

A Pakistani child activist, 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai, was shot in the head by the on a school bus in the Swat valley.

She won international prominence after highlighting Taliban atrocities in Swat with a blog for the BBC three years ago, when the Islamist militants burned girls’ schools and terrorised the valley before the army intervened.

She was just 11 then, and her struggle resonated with tens of thousands of girls denied an education by Islamist militants.

Dr Borg said “Malala’s bravery is a source of admiration for all of us. This is disgusting and tragic news.

“Malta supports education for all in Pakistan and stands firmly by those who promote this essential cause."

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