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Malala Yousafzai
Asia

Shot teen activist Malala Yousafzai's family vow to remain in Pakistan

Malala Yousafzai's father vows to return home with his daughter despite risk of further attacks

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Malala Yousufzai in her hospital bed, with her father Ziauddin (second right) accompanied by her two younger brothers Atal (right) and Khushal (centre). Photo: AP

The father of a Pakistani teen activist who was wounded by a Taliban gunman vowed the girl would return home after her medical treatment abroad, despite new threats against her.

Since being shot on October 9 in northwest Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai, 15, has become an international heroine, although her work of speaking out against the Taliban and promoting girls' education has long been known beyond her native Swat Valley.

Malala's father Ziauddin Yousafzai's comments were recorded by Pakistani state television before he, her mother and two brothers flew to Britain where she is being treated.

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They arrived in Birmingham, England, on Thursday and went straight to see Malala at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital via police escort through the city.

At age 11, Malala started a blog under a pseudonym for the BBC about life under the Taliban in Swat. After the militants were ousted in 2009, she began publicly speaking out about the need for girls' education. She appeared frequently in the media and was given one of the country's highest civilian honours for her bravery.

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A Taliban gunman shot her in the head as she took the school bus home in the Swat Valley city of Mingora. Two other girls were injured in the attack. The teen was airlifted to a hospital in Britain on October 15.

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