Foreign secretary meets Yousafzai's father and praises her campaign in Pakistan for girls' right to receive an education
The foreign secretary has visited the hospital where a 15-year-old Pakistani girl is being treated after being shot at point-blank range by the Taliban.
William Hague expressed his admiration for Malala Yousafzai, who was targeted after campaigning for the right for girls in Pakistan to receive an education.
During the visit to Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham on Monday, where Malala is recovering, the minister met the girl's father and hospital staff to thank them for their efforts and express his admiration for her campaign. He was joined by Pakistan's interior minister, Rehman Malik, and the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed.
Hague said: "We are profoundly grateful to the full multidisciplinary team of medical staff at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, for all they are doing to help her recover from her appalling injuries. I offered our support and sympathy to Mr Yousafzai and his family as they go through this ordeal."
Malala was flown to Britain last week to receive treatment after the shooting, which happened as she returned home from school on 9 October. The teenager underwent a life-saving operation in Pakistan, but was moved to the UK for more advanced medical attention from staff who specialise in treating UK soldiers returning from Pakistan. Doctors discovered that the bullet, which struck Malala's left brow, had lodged in her neck instead of penetrating her skull.
Malala's family flew from Pakistan to be at her bedside and she was reunited with them on Thursday. In a press conference in Birmingham on Friday, her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, said Malala would "rise again" and not be defeated by extremism.
"When she fell, Pakistan stood and the world rose," Yousafzai said. "This is a turning point. In Pakistan, for the first time, all political parties, Urdus, Christians, Sikhs, all religions prayed for my daughter. She is not just my daughter, she is everybody's daughter."
Hague said Malala's ordeal would inspire other girls fighting to get an education, and he would continue to champion their cause. He praised the resilience of the teenager, adding: "Malala's swift and full recovery is our absolute priority but we are also determined to do all we can to champion education for women and girls in Pakistan.
"The people of Pakistan have paid a high price from terrorism and extremism. We will stand by all those who, like Malala, are courageously defending the rights of women, in Pakistan and around the world."
In a separate statement, Malik expressed his gratitude to hospital staff, saying: "We are grateful to the hospital authorities, especially the doctors treating Malala, for taking care of her in a most professional manner."