Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai to visit native Pakistan for girls' summit

Islamabad: Nobel peace prize laureate Malala Yousafzai will attend a summit on girls' education hosted by her native Pakistan, where she was nearly killed by militants as a schoolgirl.

Yousafzai was evacuated from the country in 2012 after being shot by the Taliban, who were enraged by her activism, and she has returned to the country only a handful of times since.

"I am excited to join Muslim leaders from around the world for a critical conference on girls' education," she said Friday in a post on X.

"On Sunday, I will speak about protecting rights for all girls to go to school, and why leaders must hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against Afghan women & girls."

A spokesperson for her Malala Fund charity confirmed she will attend the summit in person.

The two-day summit will be held in the capital Islamabad on Saturday and Sunday, focusing on girls' education in the communities.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will inaugurate the event and deliver the opening keynote address, while Malala will be among the keynote speakers at the two-day conference on January 11-12.