NEW YORK: Shehbaz Sharif has lauded the international advocacy work of Nobel Laureate Malala Yousufzai on social issues, particularly girls’ education, his office said.
The prime minister met Yousufzai on the sidelines of the 77th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which the young campaigner from Pakistan also attended.
Today I met with Prime Minister @CMShehbaz to discuss the urgent needs of people affected by floods in Pakistan. We are calling on the international community to ease debt pressure and provide immediate humanitarian support. pic.twitter.com/ZwAztdBgnA
— Malala (@Malala) September 23, 2022
During the meeting, the prime minister highlighted the damage and destruction caused by the recent flash floods which have inflicted losses of nightmarish proportions.
Sharif expressed his concern about the aftermath of these floods on educational infrastructure.
Appreciating Yousufzai’s courage and dedication, he highlighted his government’s efforts in the fields of education, gender equality and increased learning opportunities for students in Pakistan.
The prime minister also noted the government’s projects and schemes to prioritise and incentivise the education of girls in Pakistan and appreciated the partnership of the Malala Fund with the Ministry of Education to support its existing STEAM programme.
Yousufzai reaffirmed her commitment to promoting the right to education for all girls and regretted that many schools had been destroyed in the floods.
She expressed her resolve for helping underprivileged children, especially girls. Yousufzai also assured of the Malala Fund’s support for Islamabad’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the catastrophic floods, in particular on girls’ access to education.
