Taliban victim Malala, 14, flies into Britain for specialist care

 
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Kiran Randhawa15 October 2012

A Pakistani schoolgirl gunned down by the Taliban for fighting for her right to an education was arriving in Britain today for specialist treatment.

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Malala Yousafzai, 14, has spent the past week in intensive care after being shot in the head and neck in front of her horrified classmates.

She was expected to arrive in the UK this afternoon and will be treated by a specialist team at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, which has a trauma ward to cater for British personnel wounded in Afghanistan.

The teenager has become well-known for her outspoken views as the author of a blog for the BBC Urdu service describing how the Pakistan Taliban prevented girls from going to school when they controlled the Swat Valley in 2009.

Last Tuesday, armed gunmen stopped her school bus in the region’s town of Mingora, asked for Malala and then opened fire.

The attack has horrified Pakistan, uniting the country in a wave of condemnation. Hundreds of vigils and demonstrations have been held as the country prays for her recovery. The authorities have offered a reward of £70,000 for the capture of the gunmen.

Malala’s life was saved by neurosurgeons in a military hospital in Rawalpindi but doctors decided she needed “prolonged care” to help her recover from the physical and psychological effects of the attack.

She was arriving in the UK by a special air ambulance arranged by the United Arab Emirates and accompanied by an army intensive care assistant. Her treatment will be paid for by the Pakistan government.

At the weekend, doctors at the hospital in Rawalpindi said she was making steady progress and had moved her feet and hands despite remaining in a drug-induced coma. She also breathed without the help of a respirator for a short period.

A statement released by Pakistan’s military said she would need to have bones in her skull repaired or replaced as well as long-term rehabilitation. It added: “Accordingly, the panel of doctors recommended that Malala be shifted abroad to a UK centre which has the capability to provide integrated care to children who have sustained severe injury.”

Police have detained dozens of people in connection with the attack, including school watchmen and the bus driver, but most have been released.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “Last week’s barbaric attack on Malala Yousafzai and her schoolfriends shocked Pakistan and the world.

“Malala’s bravery in standing up for the right of all young girls in Pakistan to an education is an example to us all. Malala will now receive specialist medical care in an NHS hospital. Our thoughts remain with Malala and her family at this difficult time.”

A Taliban spokesman issued a statement claiming it was obligatory to kill anyone “leading a campaign” against Islamic law and said it would again attempt to kill her if she recovers. The biggest rally yet showing solidarity with Malala was held in Karachi yesterday.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said: "We offered our help to the government of Pakistan in caring for her because she does need particular specialist care.

"The authorities in Pakistan have taken us up on the offer, so she is on her way and she will be at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

"The Pakistani government is paying all transport, migration, medical, accommodation and subsistence costs for Malala and her party."

Asked if she would be provided with guards at the hospital, the spokeswoman said: "You wouldn't expect me to talk about security matters in detail but certainly security has been taken into account."

We are urging Standard readers to support Malala’s fight for free expression by signing our petition “We are Malala” on our sister site independent.co.uk/voices.

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