Hyderabad: Her voice almost killed her. But then, it was her voice that gave her fame. Malala Yousafzai was one of the three girls including Shazia Ramzan and Kainat Riaz, who was shot by militants after they advocated education for girls. In Swat! That’s where the problem was.
Brought back from the jaws of death, Malala – Nobel Peace Prize winner – became a hero; a hero who fought for girls, despite coming from a place where women’s equality is alien. Today, Malala’s fight has reached a sweet spot. All the 10 men who shot her in the head have been served with life imprisonment.
The attackers of Malala Yousafzai were awarded life imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court in Swat. The 10 gunmen, identified as being a part of Tehreek-e-Taliban, admitted that their Pakistani commander Mullah Fazlullah had plotted the crime after they were identified and arrested in September 2014.
This case reached this stage only because Malala became an international sensation overnight. Had it been someone else, the case would have died a natural death, suffering pretty much the fate of what could have happened to Malala, had she not been noticed in time.
These arrests and life sentences come at a time when crimes against women are at their peak, especially in places like Swat.
A girl’s education had always been a taboo in these regions, but thanks to Malala, the hushed voices that were further smothered with the pillow of fear have finally begun striking a chord. With the life imprisonment handed out, the menace will not be curbed instantly, but then, it will be a strong reply to those who believe that there’s a gun for every pen a woman holds.
The sentencing by the anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Swat will be seen as iconic, for this will blow the conch for women to be braver, raise their voice and put their foot down against all the suppression and oppression that they’ve undergone for years.