Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has highlighted the urgent need for Muslim countries to prioritize girls’ education, calling it one of the most important challenges of the times.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a two-day international conference titled “Girls’ Education in Muslim Societies: Challenges and Opportunities”, the Prime Minister stressed the need for large-scale initiatives to address this problem, Express News reported.
The conference, held in the federal capital, was attended by ministers, dignitaries and representatives from 47 countries and various organizations.
Prime Minister Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to advance girls’ education by mobilizing all resources and taking necessary measures. He stressed that education is a fundamental requirement for any society and called for collaborative efforts to improve access to education for girls in disadvantaged countries.
Highlighting the importance of education in Islam, the Prime Minister referred to the historic contributions of figures like Hazrat Khadija and Fatima Jinnah, as well as the achievements of Benazir Bhutto as the first female Prime Minister of the Islamic world.
He also praised Malala Yousafzai’s participation in the conference, describing her as a symbol of resilience and determination.
During his speech, the Prime Minister addressed the audience in Arabic, receiving applause from the participants.
Malala in Pakistan for a summit
Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai is in Pakistan to attend the international conference on girls’ education in Muslim communities.
Malala is one of the keynote speakers at the two-day conference in Islamabad.
This is Malala’s third visit to Pakistan since she was flown to Britain for life-saving treatment in October 2012. She traveled to Pakistan in October 2022 to visit her hometown for the first time since it was attacked.
Malala was just 15 when the banned group Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) shot her in the head over her campaign for girls’ education.
