Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai 'hopes to be Pakistan PM'

Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai has told the BBC ahead of receiving the Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday that she hopes to pursue a career in politics.She said that she may even aspire to be prime minister of Pakistan once she has completed her studies in the UK.

Ms Yousafzai has been jointly awarded the prize with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian child rights campaigner.

Ms Yousafzai was shot in the head by Taliban gunmen in October 2012 for campaigning for girls' education.

She is the youngest ever recipient of the prize.

Inspiration

"I want to serve my country and my dream is that my country becomes a developed country and I see every child get an education," Ms Yousafzai told BBC HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur in Oslo.

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She said that she had been inspired by Benazir Bhutto - a woman who twice served as Pakistani prime minister before her murder in 2007.

"If I can serve my country best through politics and through becoming a prime minister then I would definitely choose that," Ms Yousafzai said.

The teenager said it was a great honour to win the prize alongside Kailash Satyarthi.

"I had this wish from the beginning to see children going to school and I started this campaign," she said.
The Nobel committee said it was important that a Muslim (Malala Yousafzai) and a Hindu (Kailash Satyarthi) a Pakistani and an Indian, had joined in what it called a common struggle for education
The blood-stained school uniform Ms Yousafzai wore on the day she was shot by the Taliban is on display in Oslo
Ms Yousafzai's image (centre) is also on display in Oslo alongside previous winners of the Nobel Peace Prize

"Now this peace prize is very important for me and it has really given me more hope, more courage, and I feel stronger than before because I see many people are with me.

"There are more responsibilities but I have also put responsibilities on myself. I feel I am answerable to God and to myself and that I should help my community. It's my duty."

'Disappointed'

At a joint press conference with Mr Satyarthi on Tuesday, the 17-year-old repeated her message that girls have as much right to an education as boys.
Ms Yousafzai has invited other young women activists - including Mezon Almellehan from Syria (right) - to the awards ceremony

The laureates, who have split the $1.4m (£860,000) prize money, were nominated for their work to protect children from slavery, extremism and child labour at great risk to their own lives.

Malala's father: 'Nobel peace prize is a turning point for Pakistan'
Ms Yousafzai said she was disappointed that the prime ministers of India and Pakistan were not attending the award ceremony.

But correspondents say that the presence of Ms Yousafzai and her Indian co-winner in Oslo has attracted hundreds of people into the freezing streets hoping to get a glimpse of them.

The Nobel committee said earlier that it was important that a Muslim and a Hindu, a Pakistani and an Indian, had joined in what it called a common struggle for education and against extremism.

Source: BBC