Malala has 70% chance of survival: Doctors:Responding to critics: Malala promised opposition would never deter her

UAE sends medics to Pakistan to evacuate girl shot by Taliban Sun, Oct 14 16:27 PM EDT DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has dispatched a medical team to evacuate a Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban if doctors decide she should be taken abroad for treatment, a UAE news agency reported on Sunday. The WAM state news agency said the team would evaluate the condition of education campaigner Malala Yousufzai and facilitate her transfer to a hospital outside Pakistan. Fourteen-year-old Yousufzai was leaving school in her hometown in the Swat Valley in northwest Pakistan when she was shot in the head and neck by the Taliban for speaking out against the militants and promoting education for girls. A spokesman for the Pakistani embassy in the UAE told Reuters the UAE had sent an air ambulance to Pakistan, but a decision on whether she would be transferred out of the country had not been taken. Yousufzai, whose shooting has drawn condemnation from world leaders, was being treated at a military hospital in Rawalpindi. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Said the attack must be "universally denounced." "The attempt on Malala's life was not only an attack on a defenseless child, it was an attack on her and every girl's right to a future unlimited by prejudice and oppression," he said, according to WAM. "We must all stand with Malala in promoting tolerance and respect." The shooting has outraged people in Pakistan, a country seemingly inured to extreme violence since a surge in Islamist militancy began after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. (Reporting by Mahmoud Habboush and Praveen Menon; Editing by Rosalind Russell) ============ PESHAWAR: Child activist Malala Yousufzai who was shot by the Taliban has a 70 per cent chance of survival, doctors said Thursday. One of her doctors, Mumtaz Khan, told AFP Malala had improved since the bullet was removed in an operation on Wednesday but she was still seriously ill. “She has been put on a ventilator for two days. The bullet has affected some part of the brain, but there is a 70% chance that she will survive,” he said. Asked whether 14-year-old Malala was being sent to the top military hospital in Rawalpindi, a military official confirmed to AFP only that she was being moved and that a further announcement would be made shortly. “Her condition is not yet out of danger despite improvement. She is being shifted to Rawalpindi,” Governor Kyber-Pakhtunkhwa Masood Kausar told reporters. Malala, who studies at Khushal Public School, was on her way home when the vehicle came under attack on Haji Baba Road. One of the other injured has been identified as Shazia and sources say the third was a teacher. Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan had said his group was behind the shooting. ============== .. My conversations with Malala Yousafzai, the girl who stood up to the Taliban Pakistani journalist Owais Tohid recalls his conversations with Malala Yousafzai, the outspoken 14-year-old girl whose shooting by the Taliban has outraged the world. By Owais Tohid | Christian Science Monitor – 5 hrs ago.. . . Email 4 Print ... . . .Enlarge Gallery. Pakistani girls display a poster while sitting at their desk, as their teacher, not shown, talks to them about 14-year-old schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai, who was shot on Tuesday by a Taliban gunman for her role … .. . . . More From . . .Syrian airliner spat sours improving Turkish-Russian relations MS-13 gang labeled transnational criminal group, a first for US street gang Why Europe needed the Nobel Peace Prize Paul Ryan and Joe Biden vice presidential debate was good TV and good politics (+video) ... . . "Which one of you is Malala? Speak up, otherwise I will shoot you all," a hooded, bearded Taliban militant asked a bus full of schoolgirls on their way home earlier this week. "She is propagating against the soldiers of Allah, the Taliban. She must be punished," the Taliban militant shouted louder. Then, recognizing her, he shot her at a point blank range. Malala Yousafzai gained fame when it came out that she was the girl who was highly critical of the Taliban's ban on girls' education in the Swat valley, and blogging about her views and about the atrocities of Islamic militias controlling the valley from 2007-2009. The BBC blog, which was written in Urdu under a pen name, was nominated for several awards. "I wanted to scream, shout and tell the whole world what we were going through. But it was not possible. The Taliban would have killed me, my father, my whole family. I would have died without leaving any mark. So I chose to write with a different name. And it worked, as my valley has been freed," she told me when I invited her for an interview for the TV station I am heading now, ARY News. RELATED: Who are the Taliban and what do they want? Doctors treating Malala now say bullets have been removed from her head and neck, but her condition is still critical. The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have claimed responsibility for the attack and have a $100,000 government bounty against them. Malala's friend, Shazia, who was also injured that day, recounted the event to me as her eyes filled with tears. "They stopped our school van. They were riding on a bike. The masked man kept pointing guns at us and the other was shouting ‘where is Malala?!’ I froze with a flashback to the old dark days: I remembered the headless bodies, slaughtering of rivals – merely on dissent or slightest doubt of spying –the grotesque violence." Just a few moments before, she said, the girls had been singing a traditional Pushto folk song on their way back from school, its lyrics vowing sacrificing their lives for their motherland, the beautiful valley of Swat. "With a drop of my sweetheart's blood, Shed to defend the motherland, I will put a beauty spot on my forehead, Such would put to shame the rose in the garden," they sang. The song was made famous by Malala’s namesake, Malalai of Maiwand. The 19th century national folk hero fought against the British troops in the Second Anglo-Afghan War. WHAT'S IN A NAME? The first time I met Malala, a couple of years ago, I asked her what her name signified. She answered: "Probably, a hero like the Afghan heroine Malalai [of Maiwand] or Malalai Joya. I want to be a social activist and an honest politician like her," she said, smiling. Ms. Joya, a 30-something activist, politician, and writer who was bitterly critical of both the Taliban and the Karzai regime, was at one point dubbed the bravest woman of Afghanistan. Malala Yousafzai certainly was well on her way for a 14-year-old. She was awarded the National Peace Award in Pakistan last year. At the time, she said: "My life is like a movie, full of dreams. I used to dream of becoming famous, to see my valley freed from the clutches of Taliban, to see girls flying like butterflies, free from any restrictions. It is becoming as a reality so I am happy, happy, and very happy," she said. "I want to change the political system so there is social justice and equality and change in the status of girls and women. I plan to set up my own academy for girls," she said, ever with confidence and a maturity beyond her years. I remember thinking it was her love for life that made countering the Taliban possible. ENGRAVED IN MEMORY Under their control of the Swat valley, the turbaned militants burned schools and banned girls’ education, and forced women to wear burqas or stay inside their homes, turning Malala's colorful valley of Swat colorless. That period is engraved in people's memories through her diary. "Saturday January 3, 2009: Today our headmistress announced that girls should stop wearing uniform because of Taliban. Come to schools in casual wear. In our class only three out of 27 attended the school. My three friends have quit school because of Taliban threats." "January 5, 2009: Today our teacher told us not to wear colorful dress that might make Taliban angry." "Tuesday March 2009: On our way to school, my friend asked me to cover my head properly, otherwise Taliban will punish us." "Thursday, March 12, 2009: I had a sore throat. My father took me to the doctor. There a woman told us about a boy named Anis, 'Anis was with Taliban.’ His Taliban friend told him that he had a dream that he is surrounded by heavenly virgins in Paradise. The boy then asked his parents if he could become a suicide bomber to go to the Paradise. The parents refused. But Anis exploded himself at a check post of security forces, anyway.” When the security forces carried out the operation to oust the Taliban in the Swat valley, Malala had to leave her valley, as did almost a million other displaced people. I met her while she was teaching children under a tent, as most of the schools were destroyed by Taliban in Swat. "I want to see every child getting education and our whole country freed from Taliban," she told me, gesturing to the surrounding mountains. Archives: A special report from Swat Valley in 2007 Today, security officials say her attackers might have come down from those same mountains, either across the border where Mullah Fazlullah who had occupied Swat valley and now believed to have been in hiding in Nooristan and Kunnar provinces in Afghanistan, or from North Waziristan, which is considered to be a haven for Al Qaeda and Taliban militants. Three years ago, a military operation followed the flogging of a girl from Swat, Chand Bibi, at the hands of Taliban, which triggered anger across the country. Now the attack on Malala has triggered nationwide anger and international condemnation, and there is some hope that it will effect a change again. Pakistan's military chief visited the military hospital Wednesday to see Malala. "Such inhuman attacks clearly expose the extremist mindset the nation is facing," Gen. Pervez Ashfaq Kayani said in a statement. "We refuse to bow before terror, we will fight. Regardless of the cost, we will prevail, inshallah," the military chief said, triggering speculation that this attack might spur Pakistan's military to go into North Waziristan. UNFLAGGING DETERMINATION Malala, with her rosy complexion, twinkling eyes, and unflagging determination, charmed everybody with her courage and confidence in her public appearances. Fluent in Urdu, English, and Pushto, she had a flair for communication. Her father, Zia Yousafzai, a Pashtun left-wing educator, almost always accompanied her on outings and interviews. He runs a chain of schools in Swat valley, the Khushal Public School, named after a famous Pashtun poet. I met father and daughter many times, and discussed with Malala the possibility of her hosting a show to interview leading politicians and dignitaries for the TV channel where I work. "That will be fun, countering mullahs," she replied, but said she wanted to focus on her studies. Her father, bursting with pride, was cautious. "It's not the right time. She has already been in limelight in the national and international media. Her life can be under threat and she has to go a long way," her father told me. The last time that I was with Malala, my 9-year-old daughter, Risa, called me to ask when I was coming home. "I am with a hero, a very courageous girl. She has defeated the Taliban," I told her. "The horrible Taliban? She must be so brave. Can I talk to her?" my daughter asked, and the girls chatted on the telephone for a few minutes. On Tuesday, when my daughter called me, Malala was being rushed to the hospital. When I spoke to Malala's father, he said he was standing next to her, holding her hand. "Don't worry, Baba. I am going to be fine and victory will be ours," he said Malala told him in broken words before falling unconscious. I came home that day heartsick and angry. My daughter had fallen asleep on top of her book titled “Mulan,” a folk tale we have read together about a heroic Chinese girl who fought against Mongols and saved her village. I held her tight, trying not to wake her because she had school the next day - which was Malala's dream. IN PICTURES: Talking to the Taliban Related stories •Who are the Taliban and what do they want? 5 key points •Girl who defied Pakistani Taliban shot for ‘promoting Western culture' •Taliban shooting of 14-year old sparks outrage in Pakistan ======================= Responding to critics: Malala promised opposition would never deter her By Fazal Khaliq Published: October 11, 2012 “My role and struggle is beyond personal fame and achievement,” says Malala Yousafzai. PHOTO: FILE SWAT: Days before Malala Yousafzai was targeted, the 14-year-old iconic child activist had stated: “I am not fighting for any award, neither have I struggled to be part of any competition to get nominations in any list. For me, my cause to fight for the education of girls and children’s rights is of supreme importance. And this, I will continue to the end.” After receiving the National Peace Award from the prime minister, Yousafzai was also confirmed in the list of Tamgha-i-Shujaat. While many of her well-wishers were happy and excited, certain groups came out with extreme criticism against the child activist. On September 28, The Express Tribune conducted a formal interview with her regarding her vision, aim and response to the severe criticism against her achievements. Her reply was simple and cogent. “My role and struggle is beyond personal fame and achievement,” she said. When asked about the criticism she continues to face, she replied with an innocent smile. “Maybe they are right because it seems to me that I have not done enough to achieve my cause. “I will be happy when every girl in this land gets formal education. I will not sit with ease until all my girls receive education and learn their rights.” She vowed opposition would never deter her from her cause. In fact, she added, it would help her speed up her activities. “No doubt, I learn a lot from my critics. There is always a lesson to learn from those who criticise you. I am thankful to them who are judging my every activity closely,” she told The Express Tribune with beaming confidence and optimism. Published in The Express Tribune, October 11th, 2012. =============== Taliban's "Radio Mullah" sent hit squad after Pakistani schoolgirl Fri, Oct 12 13:33 PM EDT 1 of 5 By Jibran Ahmad PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - One of the Taliban's most feared commanders, Maulana Fazlullah, carefully briefed two killers from his special hit squad on their next target. The gunmen weren't going after any army officer, politician or Western diplomat. Their target was a 14-year-old Pakistani schoolgirl who had angered the Taliban by speaking out for "Western"-style girls' education. Tuesday's shooting of Malala Yousufzai was the culmination of years of campaigning that had pitted the fearless, smiling young girl against one of Pakistan's most ruthless Taliban commanders. Their story began in 2009, when Fazlullah, known as Radio Mullah for his fiery radio broadcasts, took over Swat Valley, and ordered the closure of girls' schools, including Yousufzai's. Outraged, the then-11-year-old kept a blog for the BBC under a pen name and later launched a campaign for girls' education. It won her Pakistan's highest civilian honor and death threats from the Taliban. Yousufzai was not blind to the dangers. In her hometown of Mingora, Fazlullah's Taliban fighters dumped bodies near where her family lived. "I heard my father talking about another three bodies lying at Green Chowk," she wrote in her diary, referring to a nearby roundabout. A military offensive pushed Fazlullah out of Swat in 2009, but his men simply melted away across the border to Afghanistan. Earlier this year, they kidnapped and beheaded 17 Pakistani soldiers in one of several cross border raids. Yousufzai continued speaking out despite the danger. As her fame grew, Fazlullah tried everything he could to silence her. The Taliban published death threats in the newspapers and slipped them under her door. But she ignored them. The Taliban say that's why they sent assassins, despite a tribal code forbidding the killing of women. "We had no intentions to kill her but were forced when she would not stop (speaking against us)," said Sirajuddin Ahmad, a spokesman of Swat Taliban now based in Afghanistan's Kunar province. He said the Taliban held a meeting a few months ago at which they unanimously agreed to kill her. The task was then given to military commanders to carry out. The militia has a force of around 100 men specialized in targeted killing, fighters said. They chose two men, aged between 20-30, who were locals from Swat Valley. The gunmen had proved their worth in previous assassinations, killing an opposition politician and attacking a leading hotelier for "obscenity" in promoting tourism. Their trademark is to kill by shots to the head. Such hits, although dangerous, are also a badge of honor among the Taliban. The fighters who carry them out often receive personal calls of congratulations from senior leaders and may also get cash or guns. Now it was Yousufzai's turn. "Before the attack, the two fighters personally collected information about Malala's route to school, timing, the vehicle she used and her security," Ahmad said. They decided to shoot her near a military checkpoint to make the point they could strike anywhere, he said. On Tuesday, the two men stopped the bus she was riding home in. They asked for Yousufzai by name. Although the frightened girls said she wasn't there, the men fired at her and also hit two other girls in the van. One of them remains in critical condition. Shot in the head and the neck, Yousufzai still lies unconscious in hospital, unaware that world leaders from U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to U.S. President Barack Obama have pledged support. Schoolchildren in Swat prayed for her recovery. "The American people are shocked by this deplorable shooting of a girl who was targeted because she dared to attend school," a statement from the White House said. On Wednesday, the singer Madonna dedicated a song to Yousufzai during a L.A. concert. In a gesture that bemused many Pakistanis, she performed a striptease that revealed Yousufzai's first name, Malala, written across her back. Her would-be killers said they had no idea their attack would propel their victim, already a national hero, into a global icon. "Actually the media gave it so much importance and now even Ban Ki-moon used dirty language against us," Ahmad said. The international community stayed silent when the Pakistani security forces killed women during a crackdown, he complained. Now that they had failed to kill Yousufzai, they would target her father, Ahmad said. Ziauddin Yousufzai, the headmaster of a girls' school, is on their hit list for speaking against them, his activities to promote peace in the region and for encouraging his daughter. "We have a clear-cut stance. Anyone who takes side with the government against us will have to die at our hands," Ahmad warned. "You will see. Other important people will soon become victims." (Writing by Katharine Houreld) =================== Pakistani schoolgirl attacked by Taliban sent to UK for treatment Mon, Oct 15 00:11 AM EDT 1 of 6 ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The Pakistani schoolgirl who was shot by Taliban gunmen for pushing for girls to be educated has been sent to the United Kingdom for medical treatment, a military spokesman said on Monday. The spokesman said in a statement that 14-year-old Malala Yusufzai, whose shooting has drawn condemnation abroad and at home, will require prolonged care to fully recover physically and psychologically. The spokesman said an air ambulance transporting Malala, provided by the United Arab Emirates, had departed from Islamabad and was heading for the United Kingdom. "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," said the spokesman in a statement. Malala has become a potent symbol of resistance against the Pakistani Taliban's efforts to deprive girls of an education. Pakistanis have held some protests and candlelight vigils but government officials have refrained from publicly criticizing the Taliban by name over the attack, in what critics say is a lack of resolve against extremism. Opponents of Pakistan's government and military say the shooting is another reminder of the state's failure to tackle militancy. (Reporting by Sheree Sardar; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan) =============== Shot Pakistani girl can recover, UK doctors say Mon, Oct 15 15:31 PM EDT 1 of 13 By Ben Hirschler and Alessandra Prentice LONDON/BIRMINGHAM (Reuters) - A Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban has every chance of making a "good recovery", British doctors said on Monday as 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai arrived at a hospital in central England for treatment of her severe wounds. Yousufzai, who was shot for advocating education for girls, was flown from Pakistan to receive specialist treatment at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital at a unit expert in dealing with complex trauma cases that has treated hundreds of soldiers wounded in Afghanistan.

"Doctors...believe she has a chance of making a good recovery on every level," said Dr Dave Rosser, the hospital's medical director, adding that her treatment and rehabilitation could take months. He told reporters Yousufzai, whose shooting has drawn widespread condemnation, had not yet been assessed by British medics but said she would not have been brought to Britain at all if her prognosis was not good.

TV footage showed a patient, believed to be the schoolgirl, being rushed from an ambulance into the hospital surrounded by a large team of medical staff. She will now undergo scans to reveal the extent of her injuries, but Rosser said they could not provide any further details without her agreement. Pakistani surgeons removed a bullet from near her spinal cord during a three-hour operation the day after the attack last week, but she now needs intensive specialist follow-up care. The unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, a large blue and white glass-plated complex in the south of England's second city, has treated every British battle casualty for the last decade, Rossner said. Built at a cost of 545 million pounds ($877 million), the hospital has the world's largest single-floor critical care unit for patients with gunshot wounds, burns, spinal damage and major head injuries. Treatment for the schoolgirl is likely to include repairing damaged bones in her skull and complex follow-up neurological treatment. "Injuries to bones in the skull can be treated very successfully by the neurosurgeons and the plastic surgeons, but it is the damage to the blood supply to the brain that will determine long-term disability," said Duncan Bew, consultant trauma surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust in London. Judging the best way forward in such difficult cases requires a wide range of experienced medics working as a team. "In trauma, it is really the coordinated impact of intensive care that is critical. It's not just about keeping the patient alive but also maximizing their rehabilitation potential. With neurological injuries that is paramount," Bew said. Doctors said youth was on her side since a young brain has more ability to recover from injury than a mature one. "On the positive side, Malala has passed two major hurdles - the removal of the bullet and the very critical 48-hour window after surgery," said Anders Cohen, head of neurosurgery at the Brooklyn Hospital Centre in New York. MALALA'S SECURITY A PRIORITY Compared with some of the nation's ageing hospitals, the new National Health Service (NHS) hospital offers a spectrum of services ranging from plastic surgery to neuroscience. They may all be needed in Malala's case. The hospital and government officials declined to give any details about the security measures that would be put in place to protect Malala but a spokesman for the interior ministry said her security was "a priority for both Pakistan and the UK". A hospital spokesman said no extra measures were in place but because the unit treated British military personnel it already had "fairly robust security". Care of soldiers on the battlefield has improved dramatically in recent years, so that many now survive injuries that would have been a death sentence in the past. As a result, Birmingham now handles extremely challenging injuries that were previously little known and has built up enormous experience in head and brain injuries, multiple fractures and amputations. In the last five years, the Birmingham centre has treated 481 service personnel seriously injured in Afghanistan, according to the Ministry of Defence. She did not come from Pakistan with any of her relatives but the Pakistani Consulate are proving support and her family may join her at a later date. Yousufzai, a cheerful schoolgirl who had wanted to become a doctor before agreeing to her father's wishes that she strive to be a politician, has become a potent symbol of resistance against the Taliban's efforts to deprive girls of an education. Pakistanis have held some protests and candlelight vigils but most government officials have refrained from publicly criticizing the Taliban by name over the attack, in what critics say is a lack of resolve against extremism. ($1 = 0.6216 British pounds) (Additional reporting by Michael Holden, editing by Peter Millership and Diana Abdallah) ========== As world helps shot Pakistani girl, Afghans ask "what about us?" Sun, Oct 21 19:48 PM EDT KABUL (Reuters) - The global attention bestowed on a Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban has sparked outcry amongst many Afghans dismayed by what they say is the unequal response to the plight of their women and children. Malala Yousufzai, shot by Taliban gunmen for advocating girls' education, was flown from Pakistan to Britain to receive treatment after the attack this month which drew widespread condemnation and an international outpouring of support. "Every day an Afghan girl is abused, raped, has acid thrown on her face and mutilated. Yet no one remembers or acknowledges these girls," Elay Ershad, who represents the nomadic Kuchi people in Afghan parliament, told Reuters. Echoing concerns of other prominent Afghan women, Ershad said the government took no real interest in women's rights, instead using the issue for political gain and currying favor with Western backers, a claim Kabul has dismissed as untrue. President Hamid Karzai has repeatedly condemned Yousufzai's shooting, even using it to address women's rights in his country: "The people of Afghanistan ... see this attempt not only against (Yousufzai) but also against all Afghan girls," he said last week. The closest Karzai has come this year to condemning violence against women in Afghanistan, as seen on the scale he has done with Yousufzai, was in July when gunmen publicly executed a 22-year-old woman, named Najiba, for alleged adultery, which prompted an international outcry. "If the president does not care about Afghan women in general, why does he suddenly care about Malala?" Ershad asked. "No one (here) ever seeks justice once the television cameras are turned off." The United Arab Emirates provided the plane taking Yousufzai to Britain, while British officials said the Pakistani government was footing the bill for her lengthy treatment in Birmingham. Karzai has told Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari that the attack was proof the two needed to tackle a common enemy, a move widely seen as an attempt to soothe ties between the neighbors amid bickering over Pakistani shelling across the countries' lawless border. "WE BETTER UNDERSTAND MALALA'S SITUATION" Afghan women have won back basic rights in education, voting and employment since the Taliban were ousted from power in 2001, sparking the present NATO-led war, but Afghanistan remains one of the worst places on Earth to be a woman, despite billions of dollars in aid and pledges to better their lives. There is now mounting concern that such freedoms will not be protected and may even be traded away as Kabul seeks a peace deal with the Taliban, as most foreign troops prepare to leave the country by the end of 2014. "We understand Malala's situation better than anybody in the world, (yet) our government defends women's rights with empty slogans and actually does next to nothing," said Suraya Parlika, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee and member of the upper house of parliament. The popular, privately owned Tolo television highlighted the story of a policeman in eastern Ghazni province, called Zalmai, whose young son and daughter were shot dead in front of him by suspected Taliban members just days before Yousufzai's October 9 shooting in Pakistan's Swat valley. "How can the Afghan government react so and condemn (the attack on) a Pakistani girl and ignore such an event like this?" Tolo quoted one of Zalmai's colleagues as saying this week, adding that officials had ignored requests to investigate. Afghanistan's independent human rights commission says violence against women is increasing across the country as Karzai's government appears to backslide on women's rights. The older brother of Mah Gul, a 20-year-old woman beheaded last week in western Herat province by her in-laws for refusing prostitution, said local officials initially took no interest in her murder. "People get told off for slaughtering someone else's cow but we had to wait for her murder to be announced in the mosque before anything was done about it," 32-year-old taxi driver and Gul's brother Mohammad Nasir Akbari told Reuters. Four people including Gul's husband and in-laws were arrested last week, officials said. (Editing by Michael Perry) ==================== Shot Pakistani girl recovering fast in UK: father Fri, Oct 26 09:44 AM EDT 4 of 4 By Stephen Eisenhammer BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) - The father of a Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating girls' education said on Friday she would "rise again" to pursue her dreams after hospital treatment. Malala Yousufzai, 15, was flown from Pakistan to Britain for specialist treatment after the October 9 attack, which drew widespread international condemnation. The father Ziauddin Yousufzai and other family members arrived in Britain on Thursday to help her recovery. "They wanted to kill her. But she fell temporarily. She will rise again. She will stand again," he told reporters, his voice breaking with emotion. Malala has become a powerful symbol of resistance to the Taliban's efforts to deny women education. Public fury in Pakistan over her shooting has put pressure on the military to mount an offensive against the radical Islamist group. "When she fell, Pakistan stood ... this is a turning point," her father said. "(In) Pakistan for the first time ... all political parties, the government, the children, the elders, they were crying and praying to God." The Taliban have said they attacked her because she spoke out against the group and praised U.S. President Barack Obama. A cheerful schoolgirl who wants to become a politician, Malala Yousufzai began speaking out against the Pakistani Taliban when she was 11, around the time when the government had effectively ceded control of the Swat Valley to the militants. She has been in critical condition since gunmen shot her in the head and neck as she left school in Swat, northwest of Islamabad. She could be at risk of further attack if she went back to Pakistan, where Taliban insurgents have issued more death threats against her and her father since she was shot. "It's a miracle for us," her father said. "She was in a very bad condition ... She is improving with encouraging speed." British doctors say Malala has every chance of making a good recovery at the special hospital unit, expert in dealing with complex trauma cases. It has treated hundreds of soldiers wounded in Afghanistan. Dave Rosser, the hospital's medical director, said she would be strong enough to travel back to Pakistan in a few months' time but it was unclear whether the family would choose to do so. "She's certainly showing every intention of keeping up with her studies," Rosser added. Malala's father said he and his family cried when they were finally reunited with her on Thursday. "I love her and of course last night when we met her there were tears in our eyes and they were out of happiness," he said, adding that Malala had asked him to bring school textbooks from Pakistan so she could study. "She told me on the phone, please bring me my books of Class 9 and I will attempt my examination," he said. "We are very happy ... I pray for her." (Writing by Maria Golovnina; editing by Andrew Roche)