President Karzai Congratulates Malala Yousafzai- Education Activist on Her 16th Birthday

President Hamid Karzai congratulated Malala Youafzai and her family on the occasion of her 16th birthday. Returning home from school, Malala Youafzai-an education activist was attacked by the Taliban last year in Mingora area of Swat valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, sustaining serious injuries to her neck and head.

While addressing the United Nations on celebrating her 16th birthday, Malala said that terrorism and war deterred children both in Afghanistan and Pakistan from going to school. She added that the people of Afghanistan were suffering from extremism for decades.

Malala yousafzai said, "One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world” and extremists are afraid of this change that education could bring in the society. President Karzai said that education in both Afghanistan and Pakistan suffered seriously from terrorism, adding that students, teachers and education workers are targeted for many years by terrorist attacks on both sides of the Durand Line. Calling attack on education an act by the enemies of Islam, the President said, “Elements, who oppose progress and development of the peoples on the two sides of the Durand Line, commit such crimes.” President Karzai once again stressed, “Using terrorism and extremism as a political tool is in the interest of no country. Afghanistan and Pakistan must join hands in sincerity to seriously fight against terrorism and extremism- a common threat because indifference to this will make future generations of the two countries face more threats.”