‘Gulmakai’ – the future of Pakistan
Malala Yousafzai – photo by writer
“The only way to power is politics, and the only way to politics is education,” repeated the girl from Mingora, Swat who was among thousands of others whose lives were threatened by the Taliban in 2009, merely for seeking education.
Today, Malala Yousafzai is a beacon of hope for thousands of other girls who dare to dream of education and ambition. At the 8th International Conference on Women Leadership held in Islamabad last week, Yousafzai was given the excellence award in the category of “The Future of Pakistan”.
“I could not believe when I heard them calling me the future of Pakistan. I am highly encouraged by this award. I need appreciation and encouragement to complete a long and tough journey that is ahead,” she said upon receiving the award.
The world looked at the miseries of Swat through this beautiful pair of eyes, and realised the pain through the words that came out of her which she penned under the name of ‘Gulmakai’. The innocence in her writing represented those bereavements which many adults were unable to describe. Gulmakai’s diary was first published on BBC Urdu’s website in 2009. Aged 15, Malala is now studying in the 9th grade.
“Swat is peaceful now. But I don’t understand the fact that why the government is not showing any interest in rehabilitating the people who suffered the displacement. They are not even building the schools for us. It’s just the Pakistan Army with the cooperation of UAE government, which is helping recover Swat from the horrific aftermath of Talibanisation,” she exclaims with a mix of sorrow and anger.
Accompanying Yousafzai at the conference, her parents believe that their daughter has a long way to go.
“Death is inevitable. Every person has to die at some point, whether there is terrorism or not. This does not mean that we should stop walking on the path of truth. My husband and my daughter both have proven that no terror can hinder the way of truth. She is making us proud since the day she was born,” her mother states.
Forty-three year old Ziauddin is the proud father of Yousafzai, who heads the Khushal Khan School and College in Swat (for boys and girls). He was the spokesman of the National Jirga in Swat at the time of Talibanisation when Abdul Hai Kakar, then a correspondent of BBC, reached out to him and asked him to find a female teacher in Swat who could write about the cruelties of Taliban. To his disappointment no one agreed to do so.
“My only daughter, Malala was just 11 years of age when I first asked her to write about Swat and the Talibanisation in 2008. She did it. Not for the sake of her father’s wish, but for the sake of the safety and peace of her land. No one was willing to write the inside stories, the cruelty, the terror and the sufferings of the people of Swat because of the life threats by Taliban. She used the pseudonym, and I remember the first time I saw someone print the diary, I could not tell them that it’s my daughter who has written this. Today, I am happy that the world knows who Gulmakai is!”
Yousafzai’s ambition doesn’t end with obtaining education. She wants to be a politician when she grows up.
“Democracy is the best rule. This country needs new leaders. I want to study the law and I dream of a country in which education prevails and no one sleeps hungry. That would be my kind of country.”
The conviction in her voice, truly matches the title awarded to her. One can see her sparkling eyes witnessing the bright future of Pakistan.
Nukhbat Malik is an Islamabad based journalist/documentary filmmaker/social media campaigner. She can be reached on twitter @nukemalik and nukhbat@gmail.com.
Just take a simple statistics. The favourable outcome and those Pakistanis who support Gulmakai's ability to stand for truth and education for all is more than 80%. Conclude another 20% are still can be a threat to her initiatives.
This trend could be slowly changed as Gulmakai is standing on the side of hard Truth.
Good Luck Gulmakai
Cheers!
Peace Lover, Singapore.
i agree your views and thoughts….and i wish you best of luck….!
Gulmakai , Many congratulations. keep on reading tab out the brave and strong women in history and you will be one of the successful leader . Do not underestimate yourself, keep high ambitions and we will pray for you. may Allah help you in achieving the dreams of irradiating illiteracy from our nation and specially from our women folks. They are the mother of our future generation and we must make them empower.
i have gone through some of above comments but wondering why indian are more interested in Pakistan while, when you meet with any indian, most of them do not like Pakistani people i don't understand why is it so. I feel so frustrated when I come across these kind of news, could someone kindly ( especially from indian side) give me a reason why this discrimination. I experienced quite often this situation as I am living in UAE where I find so many indian.
Gulmakai, meri jaanib se aur aap ki jaanib se, ''Gul zameen, aey Gul zameen, aey Gul zameen… Teri azmat ko sada jhukti rahe meri jabeen, aey Gul zameen… Long live Pakistan!"
This girl deserves the appreciation and of the world and Pakistan at large and her community in particular.
She correctly fears rape and/or/both acid mutilation.World need to protect her. Do you agree?
Pakistan should learn lesson from this girl’s courage & unite aginst Taliban otherwise the whole nation may suffer from the same oppression if Taliban takesover Pakistan .
you proved that fear is nothing but only in ur thoughts.
And encouraged to stay there.
So a Drone missed…
She( all sensible people are) is worried about PAKISTANI TALIBAN , not drone.!!!
…then they should. And try and distinguish between cause and effect.
Pakistan produces great talent—in quality and quantity–but the system punishes it, expels it, suffocates or kills it.
Who speaks for those innocent voices murdered by Pakistani Mercenary Soldiers and their Over Lords of US-NATO. Thousands of little children , little girls, babies torn to shreds in their mother's arms by Pakistani Jets and US Drones—slaughtered in their home. Who speaks for them.
A beggar country like Pakistan which does not the capability and will to generate own resources for existence has to do what a donor tells it to do, Have you ever seen a proud beggar ? This country will have to do what America tells it to do so long they go on begging tours and not changing the fundamental policies of this country with a govt in power worth its name and with competent technocrats and politicians in charge. Do you think America gave the jets to attack its own friends? The Taliban have become a menace to the very same country which nurtured them. Though they do have a somewhat valid case against this country i.e. too much money on defence and too little on education, social programmes etc. leading to widespread poverty, which has lead to many joining them either voluntarily or have been forced to do so. So they have found their tranquility in religion in my view and this is the gordic knot which has to be cut. . This could be achieved by getting rid of both Zaradari cum Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif "elite".
May Allah bless you Gulmakai and your parents. Never give up in your life.
Thank you everyone for showing such support and encouragement and appreciating the positive side of Pakistan. I believe that we all belong to the tribe who recognizes, owns and honors its heroes regardless of religion, ethnicity, socio-political culture and economic factors. I believe in truth n so do you all n so does gulmakai n several other heroes of this country Pakistan, which stays in the news for all the bad reasons!
I beg the media, not to publicise this young girl. No wonder (God forbid), pretty soon she will be shot dead somewhere in her home town for talking about education for women (According to the ISLAM there). Please be careful.