Pak raises its hands in prayer for young activist Malala

Pakistani teenage rights activist Malala Yousufzai, who was seriously injured in an assassination attempt by the Taliban last week, was on Monday sent to Britain on an air ambulance for specialist treatment, including the repair of damaged bones of her skull.

Malala was admitted on Monday to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham -- an NHS (National Health Service) hospital which has a specialist major trauma centre.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said his country would stand "shoulder to shoulder with Pakistan in its fight against terrorism". "The public revulsion and condemnation of this cowardly attack shows that the people of Pakistan will not be beaten by terrorists," Hague said in a statement. 

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Meanwhile, political and religious parties, and members of civil society in Pakistan prayed for the early recovery of the 14-year-old.

Women and children on Friday lit candles in Cathedral Church and expressed solidarity with Malala. They termed the attack on Malala an "inhuman offence" and said all religions called for spreading education without any discrimination.

They expressed hope that Malala's condition would improve and she would continue with her mission of working for education.

On Sunday, a special prayer session was held for the early recovery of Malala Yousafzai at the Cathedral Church.

Special prayers for the quick recovery of Malala were held in several schools in Afghanistan on Saturday.

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Fourteen-year-old Malala and two schoolmates were shot by Taliban fighters outside their school in Mingora, the main town in the former militant stronghold of Swat Valley, on Tuesday.

The banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack, saying Malala was targeted for backing "pro-West" views and a secular government in Swat, which was a militant stronghold till the army launched an operation to drive out the rebels in early 2009.

Malala came to prominence after she began writing a blog for the BBC in which she highlighted the atrocities of the Taliban and the effect of their ban on education for girls in the Swat Valley.

She became the first recipient of Pakistan's National Peace Award last year.

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A girl holding a portrait of Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai participates during a candlelight vigil organized by Nepalese Youth in Kathmandu.

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A student holds an image of Malala Yousufzai during a rally in Lahore.

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Women supporters of the National Commission of Human Development (NCHD) hold candles and pictures of schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai during a rally in Lahore.

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A female supporter of the National Commission of Human Development (NCHD) prays next to pictures of schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai in Karachi.

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A girl holds a placard next to an image of schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai during a rally organised by National Students Federation (NSF) in Lahore.

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Women supporters of religious political party Sunni Tehreek hold a placard and party flags in support of Malala Yousufzai during a demonstration in Islamabad.

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A student stands next to a board decorated with tributes to schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai at the Pakistani Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

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Students hold a placard during a rally to condemn the attack on schoolgirl Malala Yousufzai in Peshawar.

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