Young Pak crusader Malala to undergo cranial surgery

Pakistani teenage activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by Taliban for advocating girls' education, will undergo cranial reconstructive surgery within weeks as part of her long-term recovery, doctors treating her at a UK hospital have said.

Yousafzai, 15, was shot in Pakistan in October and later transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham (QEHB) for further specialist treatment, where she is recovering from her injuries.

In a statement, Dr Dave Rosser, medical director, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, said Malala would undergo cranial reconstruction surgery in late January or early February as part of her long-term recovery.

Meanwhile, Malala is now likely to secure permanent residence in the UK after her father was granted a job with the Pakistani consulate in Birmingham.

Ziauddin Yousafzai has been appointed education attache for three years, with the option of an extension for a further two years afterwards.

Both he and his daughter have had threats made against their lives by the Taliban, since the shooting. Malala's British doctors have been delighted with her ongoing recovery.